Varanasi: The Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) has established two new institutional centres – the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) and the Virtual Sustainability Centre (vSDC) – with effect from July 1. The two Centres were approved by the institute’s Board of Governors at its 24th meeting on May 12.The CIIE has been established at the institute’s Ideation, Innovation and Incubation Foundation (I3F) as the nodal centre for promoting innovation, start-up incubation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, translational research and industry-academia collaboration. The Centre will facilitate start-up mentoring, prototype development, intellectual property creation, technology transfer and commercialization of research outcomes, while fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem within the Institute.The vSDC has been established as an interdisciplinary platform to promote sustainability-focused education, research, innovation, outreach and policy engagement in alignment with Sustainability Mission 2.0 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Functioning in a virtual mode, the Centre will leverage the Institute’s expertise across departments and schools to advance collaborative research in renewable energy, climate change mitigation, carbon management, sustainable infrastructure, environmental conservation, resource efficiency, circular economy, public health and community-centric sustainable development.To provide academic and administrative leadership, Prof Manoj Kumar Meshram of the Department of Electronics Engineering has been appointed as the Coordinator of CIIE, while Prof Vikash Kumar Dubey of the School of Biochemical Engineering has been appointed as the Coordinator of vSDC, both for a period of two years with effect from July 1. In his ex-officio capacity, Prof Dubey will also serve as the chairperson of the Institute’s Sustainability Committee.IIT-BHU director, Prof Amit Patra said that the establishment of CIIE and vSDC marks another significant milestone in IIT (BHU)’s journey towards becoming a globally recognised innovation-driven institution. While CIIE will accelerate the translation of research into technologies, start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures, vSDC will foster interdisciplinary research to address emerging sustainability challenges. Together, these Centres will strengthen collaboration with industry, government and academia, empower our students and researchers, and contribute meaningfully to national priorities as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “Through these initiatives, IIT-BHU reaffirms its commitment to nurturing innovation, technological leadership and sustainable development for creating lasting societal impact,” he said.The establishment of CIIE and vSDC represents a significant step towards strengthening IIT-BHU’s innovation and research ecosystem. Together, the two centres are expected to accelerate technology-driven entrepreneurship, promote sustainable solutions to societal challenges, enhance industry and government partnerships, and further position the Institute as a leading hub for innovation and sustainability-driven research in India.
