University Innovation Cluster (UIC)- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India is a new industry-academia interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, be it providing access to risk capital through targeted funding, technology transfer, IP management and handholding schemes that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and make them globally competitive. In its three years of existence, BIRAC has initiated several schemes, networks and platforms that help to bridge the existing gaps in the industry-academia Innovation research and facilitate novel, high quality affordable products development through cutting edge technologies. BIRAC has initiated partnerships with several national and global partners to collaborate and deliver the salient features of its mandate.

In order to nurture a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) innovation among researchers and to catch them young, provide professional mentoring and support needed BIRAC has developed a focused strategic action plan to foster the culture of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in Indian Universities, leveraging the University Innovation Cluster (UIC) and Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) model. University Innovation Cluster (UIC) in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) had been started functioning in TNAU since June, 2014. The UIC is mainly targeted to reach out to young students, entrepreneurs and faculties to test their ideas and take them to Proof-of-Concept in collaboration with industry.