ROURKELA: 2023 has proved to be the most fruitful for National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) which secured 22 patents in the year.
Sources in the Intellectual Property Innovation Centre (IPIC) of NIT-R said the 22 patents include robotic arms arrangement for autonomous blast hole mining and tunnelling machine, design patent for extruder 3D printing, low-temperature decortication-cum-grinding machine and photocatalyctic-hydrogel for solar water purification.
Between 2013 and 2023, the institute received a total of 47 patents granted by the Patent Office under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
IPIC chairman Prof Sourav Chatterjee said so far, 115 patent applications were filed of which 47 have been granted. Several other patent claims have been globally published by the Patent Office to invite objection, if any. Many patent applications have also been lined up for filing.
He said the IPIC has provided a superior environment to the institute’s employees and students for creation, protection, ownership and management of intellectual property and stimulate innovation.
The IPIC was formed in NIT-R two years back to promote creation of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) and protect new creations including scholarly works, development of new and useful materials, devices, processes and other intellectual properties. Prior to that, the IPR and a host of other activities were getting covered under the Sponsored Research Industrial Consultancy and Continuing Education (SRICCE) cell.
Prof Chatterjee, however, admitted that the institute is yet to tie up with industries towards creation of wealth. NIT-R is in talks with half a dozen of manufacturing industries or start-ups for transfer of patented technologies for product manufacturing. “Now that the institute’s patent repertoire is on a steady rise, NIT-R would go for aggressive marketing outreach to collaborate with industries,” he added.
Taking pride in the achievement, NIT-R director Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao said sponsored research projects worth `42.59 crore were sanctioned through 73 projects in the fields of science, social science and engineering.
At least 22 patents were granted in 2023 and 25 faculty members listed as most influential scientists by the Stanford University.