SAMBALPUR: An incubation centre was inaugurated on the premises of Sambalpur University on Monday. Named ‘Sambalpur University Start-ups Forum’, the centre was launched by vice-chairperson of Higher Education Council Ashok Das through video-conferencing. The centre aims to foster entrepreneurship among students and mentor innovative start-ups.
The incubation centre has been set up on the ground floor of the old library building. It will support aspiring entrepreneurs, especially students, with technical know-how and mentor them. The centre will provide several facilities to students like meeting with investors, training on business-related topics as well as work space and industrial exposure.
Vice-chancellor Bidhu Bhusan Mishra said the current generation of start-up founders are mostly students. The centre will help them with guidance and infrastructure to carry forward their ideas and turn them into reality. “Any aspiring entrepreneur can approach us with their ideas for start-ups for mentoring.”
On the day, the new building of Central Instrumentation Facility (CIF) was also inaugurated. While the building has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore, different instruments worth Rs 4.5 crore will be purchased for the CIF centre.
The centre will help boost research and science activities in the region. It will house sophisticated instruments for different science disciplines. The main objective of the centre is to strengthen the technological infrastructure to carry out advanced research in various science disciplines under one roof.
Mishra said the building is ready and instruments will be procured shortly. The centre will be made operational within three to four months.
The university provides PG, MPhil and PhD programmes in different science subjects including Physics, Chemistry, Life Science and Biotechnology besides Food Science and Technology. Among others, registrar Nruparaj Sahu and PG council chairperson Sanjukta Das were present.