Biotech Park work to begin shortly

Biotech Park work to begin shortly
Aimed at creating world-class facilities for R&D in life sciences, the project is taking shape in a big way
The Times of India

It's official and it's final. The much-hyped and eagerly awaited biotech park of Karnataka - Bangalore Helix - has inched closer towards realisation. Work on the project is expected to start by the end of July as the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has transferred the land for the prestigious project and the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology has formally taken possession of the land.

According to M K Shankaralinge Gowda, Secretary of the Department, "the architect consultant for the park Jurong Consultants has signed up with Department, and the process of selection of principal contractor for the development of the institutional and R&D Block in the park is under the final stage of selection and once this is done all the major work will take off. The Biotech Park spread across 104 acres will be situated in Electronic City Phase III. The proposed park, on the lines of the IT Park, will support institutional R&D facilities, biotech incubation and instrumentation facility, and state-of-the-art infrastructure with plug-and-play facilities for cutting-edge research in life sciences cost-effectively".

The successful launch of a life sciences technology company requires specialised expertise, suitable facilities, and significant amounts of capital. However, these startups are bound to face significant market, regulatory, and capital risks. In order to bridge this gap and provide world-class infrastructure to the biotech companies, the biotech park project was envisaged in the Millennium Biotech Policy by the State Government.

Further, he said, "the park would get all the benefits as announced in the Millennium Biotech Policy 2001 and the periodic amendments to the policy that would be released by the Government. The project modalities are being currently worked out and details on different stakeholders of the park is being framed by the project consultants.

At present, the park site is already surrounded by good quality roads with power and water connectivity in place. An optical fibre network for providing broadband connection has also been laid around the site. With this core infrastructure in place it has been calculated that it would take about nine to 12 months for the civic infrastructure like roads, storm water drains, power, and water to be in place inside the park.

As the planning and designing of the park is currently on, the official said, "it is too early for us to come out with exact costs, terms and conditions, roles and responsibilities, and accountability of the participants. However, care is being taken to ensure that the cost of the land will not exceed the currently market value in the park area. The infrastructure service agencies would be finalised immediately after the private developer is selected".

The park will mainly comprise a R&D Institutional and Park Management Block, Biotech Incubation and Common Facilities Centre, and Biotechnology Industries Cluster, with a common effluent treatment plant.

Biotech Incubation and Common Facilities Centre is being envisaged to be set up on a public-private partnership. The Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, has funded Rs 14.5 crores for the Common Instrumentation Centre and Biotech Incubation Facility. It is reported that around 90 companies have approached the Department to set up a base here.

Bangalore Helix: Fact file
Land to be allotted to biotech organisations: 60 acres.
Biotech incubation centre/Insilco biology facilities: 10 acres
Administrative and Institutional Block, and business centre: 10 acres
Green house and animal care facility: 4 acres
Support infrastructure (civic amenities): 20 acres