Thiruvananthapuram: Construction tender for the long-awaited Digital Science Park project at Technopark Phase IV (Technocity) in the city has now been finalised and the lowest bidder selected. The project is now awaiting final funding approval from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), after which construction is expected to begin in one to two months.According to Digital University Kerala vice-chancellor Saji Gopinath, all major technical and administrative clearances for the project have been secured. After KIIFB’s final financial approval, the work will be awarded to the lowest bidder — Jatin Constructions Pvt Ltd.“The tender process was completed successfully and the lowest bidder has been finalised. We are now awaiting the final funding approval from KIIFB. We expect the approval within two weeks. After that, construction can begin within one to two months. The Digital Science Park project is very much on track,” Gopinath said.The engineering, procurement and construction tender had attracted bids from three major construction companies. The project will move swiftly into execution phase once the funding clearance is issued, officials said.Digital Science Park, coming up on nearly 14 acres adjacent to Digital University Kerala at Technocity in Pallippuram, is envisaged as India’s first third-generation digital science park, integrating academia, industry and govt to accelerate research-led innovation and commercialisation of emerging technologies.The first phase involves constructing a five-storey research and innovation building with nearly 1.5 lakh sq ft of built-up space at an estimated cost of Rs 202 crore. The facility will house advanced research laboratories, centres of excellence, digital incubators, testing facilities and collaborative workspaces for startups and technology companies. A second building, planned in later phases, will accommodate administrative offices and a digital experience centre. Gopinath said the bid amount was lower than the actual estimate, and so the second building might be considered in the first phase itself.The park project is estimated at an investment of Rs 1,515 crore. While KIIFB is supporting the initial infrastructure, remaining investment will be mobilised through industry partnerships and other avenues. The park is expected to become a major hub for translational research in artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductor technologies, quantum computing, cybersecurity, internet of things, advanced computing and digital health.State govt announced the project in 2023 to strengthen Kerala’s knowledge economy by creating a platform where universities, startups, research institutions and global technology companies can collaborate under a single ecosystem. The project was conceived as a catalyst for converting cutting-edge research into commercially viable products and deep-technology enterprises.Meanwhile, a temporary facility of Digital Science Park has been functioning at Technopark Phase IV, hosting several deep-tech startups engaged in artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and IoT research.
