CONCEPT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY PARKS
Biotechnology parks are science and technology parks with a special emphasis on biotechnology development. The broad concept is that of a facility, where the interface of research with commerce and industry is facilitated for better utilization of the technology.
The UK Science Parks Association (UKSPA) defines a science park as a business support and technology transfer initiative, which:
- Encourages and supports the startup and integration of innovation led high-growth, knowledge-based business.
- Provides an environment where larger and international businesses can develop specific and close interactions with a particular center of knowledge creation for their mutual benefit.
- Has formal and operational links with centers of knowledge creation, such as universities, higher education institutes and research organizations.
The science park movement has been playing an important role in the development of knowledge-based economy through technology innovation, networking, sound business management and entrepreneurial partnering and nurturing.
3.1 SUITABLE MODEL OF BIOTECH PARK
In case of India the above model may not be appropriate due to limited access to the technologies and relatively shallow pipeline of commercially viable technologies being developed in the institutes and universities.
However there has been an increased activity towards applied research and technology development by both the academia and the industry leading to increase in potential filing for protection of the innovation. There is n increasing trend to set up start up companies by technocrats based on technology leads. Moreover a number of first generation entrepreneurs and established companies operating in other areas are showing interest in investment in biotechnologies developed indigenously or sourced from other countries. This has led to increase in corporate research activities. The major constraints faced by such entrepreneurs, which has retarded the pace of investments, include the following:
- Large requirement of funds and long gestation period for developing the inventions into commercial projects.
- Difficulty in obtaining financial support for commercialization, particularly venture capital for innovative inventions,
- High-risk perception and lack of adequate incentives necessary to cover such risk and encourage such investment.
- Poor public private interaction and partnership due to lack of information about technologies, technical capabilities, infrastructure availability in institutes and mechanisms and incentives to promote such interactions.
- High rate of technology obsolescence coupled with difficulty in accessing proprietary technologies and intellectual property which are concentrated in the private sector of industrialized nations.
- Cumbersome regulatory protocols in different countries based on diverse biosafety regulations are often difficult and costly to implement.
- Scarcity of appropriately skilled manpower.
- Inadequate information sources resulting in poor regional and inter regional interactions for technology collaborations and market access.
- Weakness in specialized areas such as IPR and biosafety resulting in delays and inability to gear up to rapid global technological advancements.
To promote biotech investments, biotech parks in India should be modeled to promote technology incubation and scale up as well as manufacturing activities by providing infrastructure support, facilities and incentives so as to minimize the above constraints and make it a preferred location for investments.
3.2 FUNCTIONS
Biotechnology parks could perform the following functions:
It should encourage and support incubation and development of biotech innovations. The facilities in the incubator could include physical facilities in the form of office space, dry and wet laboratories, specialized equipment and instrumentation facilities, pilot plant and scale up units and good communication network.
In addition, the park should provide developed land at cost effective rate for carrying out manufacturing activity.
- Formal and Operational links with centres of Higher Learning or Research.
The park should establish close formal linkages with a local universities and research institutions, specializing in biotechnology. These centers could become a primary source for the basic technologies for incubation and development into commercial ventures, particularly catering to the needs of small and startup enterprises. They can also be assisted through consultancy assistance in technology up gradation, trouble shooting, contract research etc. Linkage with a research institution of repute will also attract research and development activities of major industries to the park.
Consultancy and networking for advice on IPR protection, regulatory issues, project management and sourcing of funds from venture capitalists etc. is also critical for success of park.
|
