US varsity opens energy harvesting research centre in Chennai

Chennai:

Virginia Tech’s plan to have a campus in Chennai may have been hit due to the delay in passing the foreign universities bill but this did not deter the university from opening a research centre in the city.

Termed as Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Innovation Centre, it will focus on sustainable energy, nanotechnology, cognitive radio communications and cellular biology.

Launched by Virginia Tech MARG Swarnabhoomi India Trust, the research center is spread over a minimum of 30 acres, with a built in area of 70,000 square feet and located at MARG Swarnabhoomi in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, president of Virginia Tech Charles W Steger and chairman and managing director of MARG group G R K Reddy said that initially the memorandum of understanding was signed to set up campuses in India but the educational reforms initiated by the government did not materialise as such the research centre was launched.

Interestingly, both MARG and Virginia Tech have invested $3 million and are planning to raise funds through industry partnership programmes.

Each company which will become a member of the innovation centre will be shelling out $40,000, said Steger. This will give the companies access in directed research, intellectual property, access, influence centre operations and knowledge and industrial participation.

Director of Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Roop L Mahajan said that the initial focus of the institute would be on meeting the energy needs. “In the first phase, the centre will focus its research on sustainable energy under the umbrella of Centre for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems (CEHMS). It is anticipated CEHMS will be a multi-university National Science Foundation-Industry-University Cooperative Research Centre,” Mahajan said.

“The research will become part of our global effort on energy harvesting under the umbrella of National Science Foundation Centre for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems, United States,” said Mahajan.

The second phase of activities will develop programmes in other research areas incudin Cognitive Radio Network Communications and Nanotechnology.

In the past Virginia Tech had identified India as strategic location for the establishment of one of five Virginia Tech International Centres to foster scientific and technological engagement and graduate education through a model of collaborative research and outreach to address current and future global issues and opportunities.