Rajshahi University Launches Inaugural Incubation Hub for Startups

For the first time, Rajshahi University has inaugurated an Incubation Hub, established under the initiative of the Molecular Biology and Protein Science Laboratory (MBPSL) of the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. The hub is expected to serve as a supportive center for new entrepreneurs and startups, fostering innovation and market-ready solutions.

The Incubation Hub was officially inaugurated on January 7, Saturday afternoon, by the Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University, Professor Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib, along with the Chief Researcher of MBPSL Incubation Hub, Professor Dr. Md. Abu Reza.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by university officials including Public Relations Administrator Professor Dr. Akhtar Hossain Majumdar, additional director of IQAC Professor Dr. Md. Kamal Uddin, Professor Dr. Md. Monimul Haque, Associate Researcher of the Incubation Hub Dr. Khandakar Md. Khalid-bin-Ferdaus, Bilok Md. Rezaul Halim and General Manager Sheikh Md. Selim Al-Din from Invent Technology Limited, among others.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib said the Incubation Hub would serve as a key model for connecting entrepreneurial innovation with the market. “No other university in Bangladesh has taken such a step. Under Professor Abu Reza’s leadership, this lab is starting its journey. We hope that within a year, many more labs will follow suit,” he stated, expressing gratitude to all involved.

Chief Researcher Professor Dr. Md. Abu Reza explained that the initiative aims to make research in higher education institutions more industry-oriented. “Our goal is to produce and market products domestically that are currently imported. Students will gain hands-on training and learn how to establish a company in practice,” he said.

He further added that most biotechnology products used in hundreds of labs across Bangladesh are imported, though domestic production is feasible. Eight products have already been planned for production, which will initially be developed in the Incubation Hub. Once funded, these products will be commercially marketed.

Professor Reza emphasized that the hub will serve as an effective model for sustaining laboratories. “Our education system is still largely certificate-based, yet we have numerous talented students whose skills can be harnessed to produce essential products locally,” he noted.

The Incubation Hub plans to provide products developed in the initial phase free of charge to biotechnology, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical departments of various universities across the country. “This initiative will open new horizons for research and entrepreneurship at Rajshahi University and other higher education institutions nationwide,” he concluded.

DBTech/DMC/EK/OR