As part of its attempts to generate a competent pool of technocrats and mentors for the start-up ecosystem that it plans to develop in all engineering colleges, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University will soon organise an ‘Idea- to- Product’ (I2P) maker workshop for faculty members of engineering colleges.
According to KTU sources, the workshop will give faculty members an opportunity to experience “real time challenges in different stages of product development such as problem identification, feasibility study, technology development, prototyping, testing, market survey and development of marketing strategy”.
The participants will be trained in electronics and embedded system design, PCB design, CAD, and 3D printing technology. The workshop will give an opportunity to the participants to develop a fully functional finished product.
The workshop will be held at the Federal Institute of Science And Technology (FISAT ), Mookkannore, Angamaly .
“The university is always keen on inculcating best practices on entrepreneurship development of students and faculty members and hence this workshop for instilling the entrepreneurial culture in the minds of faculty members of university,” KTU Pro Vice Chancellor M. Abdul Rahman said.
“We have already conducted a similar workshop for faculty members. In order to make the students to be entrepreneurs, first those who teach them need to take that path. The maker workshop will group the faculty members from different backgrounds and disciplines and provide training for development of an idea into a product.” Each group has to develop a product which is ready for market sharing. Further assistance will be given for bulk production and patenting. This is a first of its kind programme in the State, he added.
As part of the KTU’s efforts to set up incubation facilities in all engineering colleges, the university has placed an order for 20 Fablabs, which are expected to be installed by the end of October 2016. Costing Rs. 50 lakh per unit, the Fablabs would be installed in 10 government engineering colleges and 10 private colleges. The KTU’s declared start-up policy aims at generating 10,000 student start-up ideas every year by 2020. The idea is to make Kerala the top destination in the country for start-ups.
