The Tamil Nadu government wants to replicate the successful collaborative and mentorship model of IIT Madras Research Park by setting up University Research Parks (URPs) in state universities in Coimbatore and Madurai.
These parks will be set up as a collaborative ecosystem that brings together academia, industry, startups and government to foster innovation, research and entrepreneurship development. They will serve as a bridge between academic research and commercialisation of successful research outcomes, creating a conducive environment for the exchange of knowledge, transfer of technology and the development of entrepreneurial ventures, as per Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).
As a first measure, TIDCO has invited proposals under the URP initiative from industry-academia teams to turn ideas into impact. It could be future-focused solutions, from electric vehicles and textiles to AgriTech and DeepTech. Selected projects will be eligible for funding, TIDCO said. The timeline of launch was not specified.
The TN government in its 2022-23 Budget announced the establishment of five URPs in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Karaikudi.
University-based research parks like Stanford Research Park (US), Cambridge Science Park (UK), The Research Park at the University of Illinois (US) and others abroad along with India’s own IIT Madras Research Park (Chennai) are widely recognised for their contribution to technological progress through research and innovation and TIDCO aims to replicate this in other cities of TN.
URPs will be a place to create an environment for collaboration leading to Innovations; to establish collaborative space where researchers, industry professionals and entrepreneurs can work together. This shared environment facilitates the exchange of ideas, promotes interdisciplinary research and accelerates the development of innovative solutions, the government agency said.
Commenting on such URPs, V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, told businessline that both Coimbatore and Madurai are hotspots for innovation and entrepreneurship. “Whatever experience IIT Madras has gained in the last 15 years in running the IITMRP, we will share with the State government. We will put our best efforts for these URPs to make them successful and become very vibrant and democratising the opportunities given to young innovators and entrepreneurs. Anything and everything for Tamil Nadu from IIT Madras.”
The URPs will also facilitate the transfer of technology from academia to industry. By providing a platform for collaboration, researchers work closely with industry partners, leading to transfer of technology and commercialisation of research outcomes. It will play a nodal role in fostering entrepreneurship by providing support services to startup ventures. This includes access to funding, mentorship programs and shared infrastructure, creating an ecosystem that encourages the transformation of research findings into viable new businesses, said TIDCO.
“While it is a good initiative, it is too early to comment,” said an education expert.
Published on June 6, 2025
