JOIN USCOVID-19 tech accelerator in Bengaluru gets over 200 proposals
Indian research on Sars-CoV-2 virus is yet to mobilise but when a Bengaluru-based biosciences innovation incubator put out a call for technology submissions of relevance against the COVID-19 disease, it received more than 200 proposals in just three days.
The Centre for Cellular And Molecular Platforms (C-Camp), an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, which is located close to the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru, said that four of these innovations have been shortlisted.
The four technologies involve rapid point-of-care diagnostics or ventilator systems. One of the shortlisted technologies is from a Bengaluru-based company. Another is from Hyderabad and two are from Ahmedabad.
The submissions came after C-Camp initiated the COVID-19 Innovations Deployment Accelerator (CIDA) on March 26.
"CIDA is essentially an open call inviting innovators, startups and entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations that are ready to deploy immediately or in the near future,” explained a C-Camp spokesperson adding that the initiative would support market-ready innovations which can be employed against the virus.
Describing CIDA’s mandate in detail, Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, C-CAMP CEO and Director, said: “A few key players from industry are in constant touch with C-CAMP to support COVID-19 Innovations. CIDA is a step in that direction to help with immediate deployment of solutions wherever we can.”
With submissions open for an indefinite period, C-Camp said it hopes to receive many more promising technological submissions. The criteria for selection is that the technology must be ready to deploy and that it must clear a review by an internal committee and an external panel of experts.
Following this, CIDA will help in fast-tracking promising innovations for pilot-scale deployment via industry partnership and helping with governmental regulations while connecting with investors.
Selected innovations could be offered a potential ticket to expand beyond India, C-Camp said in a statement.
CIDA is a collaborative enterprise between C-Camp, the UN Health Innovation Exchange (UNHIE) and the Bengaluru-based NGO, Social Alpha.