Plan to set up premier digital, innovation centres in State

Chairman of Innovation Society of Government of AP J.A. Chowdary addressing the inaugural of the Smart Village Open Innovation Challenge-2016 organised in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Describing innovation as the mantra for success, Chairman of Innovation Society of Andhra Pradesh J.A. Chowdary has said there are plans to set up an International Institute of Digital Technology in Tirupati and an Innovation and Technology Park in Andhra University.

“Digital technology is sweeping the world with employment dropping in the IT services, and there is going to be a lot of virtualisation, where, with increasing competition, jobs can be taken from anywhere. That’s why the Chief Minister is keen on bringing revolutionary changes in higher education,” he said addressing a mentorship programme for Smart Village Open Innovation Challenge-2016 at Andhra University on Monday.

It’s the second programme being organised after the Centre for Open Innovation (COI) of Andhra University and Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, signed a MoU early this year.

Young Global Leader at World Economic Forum Sandeep Chatterjee, who delivered the keynote address at the meeting, David Maricine of Capstone University, and Garwood Fellow Manav Subodh are the resource persons. The IIDT would have association with UC, Berkeley, and Stanford University.

Terming the setting up of the COI by Prof. Solomon Darwin of Garwood as a great beginning, Mr. Chowdary said people-to-people, intellectual connections were important for success.

The Innovation and Technology Park would also have association with UC, Berkeley, and Stanford University, he said, adding that it would also attract R&D companies.

Executive Director of Garwood Center Solomon Darwin said India had great future with the vision and vibrant youth. Sifting through 500 applications for participation, the best from 30 institutions were selected.

Prof. Terry A Beaubois of Stanford University addressed the gathering via the Internet.

Andhra University in charge Vice-Chancellor E.A. Narayana announced that the university would have professors Darwin and Beaubois as honorary professors.

STPI Joint Director M.P. Dubey said that 15-20 small companies coming up in the city were very active, and one of them was working on airport security systems.