Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Managing Director (Grade-1) GSM Zafarullah expressed hope that unicorn startups (10,000 crore Tk companies) will emerge from the University Innovation Hub in the coming days. He said, ‘Merit is being practiced in the universities as the highest educational institutions of the country. We are building innovation hubs in 10 universities to utilize the knowledge obtained there for the welfare of people and to develop university students as startups. All the facilities are being ensured to develop the ideas of the students in these hubs.
GSM Zafarullah expressed his optimism while speaking as the chief guest at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony for setting up university innovation hubs in 10 universities organized at BHTPA conference room on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) is working to develop University Innovation Hub to develop university-centric innovation and startup culture in the country. BHTPA’s Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development (DED) project has signed MoUs with 10 universities for these purposes. Project Director of Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Project Abul Fatah Md. Baligur Rahman and representatives of 10 selected universities signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.
Project Director of Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Project Abul Fatah Md. Baligur Rahman said, ‘Innovation hub will play a major role in establishing the connection between industry and academia in the practical application of knowledge obtained from research in the university. We hope that big products/organizations like Facebook-Google will come out from here due to the facilities created through Innovation Hub. We are working on how a young student/entrepreneur will navigate his entire journey. Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and World Bank have supported startups from ideation to commercialization.
In the event, it was informed that innovation hubs are being set up in the 10 universities, they are Chittagong University, Khulna University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Yechnology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology, Gopalganj, Barendra University Rajshahi, United International University and BRAC University.
The three universities that have already set up Innovation Hubs are Chittagong University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology and United University. Apart from this, the work of creating a hub in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology is in the final stage. Hubs will be created in phases in selected remaining universities.
DEIED Project Innovation and Commercial Specialist ANM Safiqul Islam said, ‘We are working towards the goal that each startup can emerge as a unicorn by being trained by talented teachers at the university’s innovation hub and developed through the startup scale-up program. We want to build an innovation ecosystem in the country. There is a scale-up program for young entrepreneurs who will start their journey, where various benefits including training, mentoring, seed funds will be provided.’
It was informed at the event that the hub has been arranged for use as a co-working space for startups in the university. Speakers at the contract signing ceremony said that the University Innovation Hub has various facilities for idea development. These include co-working and learning spaces, separate theaters for pitching facilities, devices for presentations, meeting rooms, fabrication lab facilities, licensed software for prototyping, libraries. Apart from this, there are various equipment such as: Robotics VR, various equipment for practicing drones, 3D printers, cutting and engraving machines and various necessary equipment.
Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority will construct the hub and undertake proper management, necessary renovation and repair work of the hub during the project. At the end of the project, the university authority will maintain and manage it under its own management and an MoU was signed in this regard.
Professor Dr. AQM Mahbub, Vice-Chancellor, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University of Gopalganj; Acting Vice-Chancellor of Barendra University Anand Kumar Saha; Registrar of various Universities, Sub-Project Director of DEIED Project, Director of BHTPA and senior officials were present.