C N R Rao to pilot Nano Park to appear in Bengaluru

A nanotechnology park will be established in Bengaluru on the lines of the IT-BT Park, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister and IT minister C N Ashwath Narayan said.

Participating in the Bengaluru India Nano 2020 event here, Narayan said the state is also mulling over a fresh science and technology policy.

“The Nano Park proposal is being chalked out by making use of Prof C N R Rao, chairman of the Karnataka Vision Group on Nanotechnology. We expect research centres to be established in Bengaluru to market the ecosystem for nanotechnology," said Narayan.

Prof. C N R Rao can help the state in formulating policy and identifying priority areas to build core competencies and foster research in this advanced discipline. The focus is to make Bengaluru and Karnataka a leader in nanotechnology in collaboration with premier institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science, the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, NCBS and others.

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa said the proposed Nano Park would set up in collaboration with the Union government. Establishment of common instrumentation facilities to market growth in this emerging field may also be considered. Action will be studied for up-skilling and re-skilling the manpower required for this sunrise industry.

The principle minister called upon scientists and engineers to create progressive nanotechnology-based solutions for food security, energy security, water purification, healthcare, waste management also to combat environmental hazards.

Prof. Rao said, “Nanotechnology has been making giant strides in the field of healthcare. I feel that there surely is still a lot of potential to be tapped. I urge our young scientists to conduct more research in neuro-scientific healthcare and come out with some very nice solutions. Bengaluru India Nano acts as a worldwide platform for convergence of research, academe and industry to explore emerging opportunities.

A number of the key focus regions of Bengaluru India Nano 2020 will be on nanotech in energy for e-mobility, agriculture, clean water and environment and manufacturing. Around 30 world class speakers from leading industries and organizations, both from India and abroad will address this event.

Yediyurappa presented  the prestigious Prof. C.N.R Rao Bengaluru India Nano Science Award 2020 to Prof. P S Anil Kumar of the Department of Physics of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru for his outstanding contribution to nanotechnology.