Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has signed a Letter of Intent with Cornell University to make the US university’s expertise in life sciences available to the proposed Life Sciences Park in the state.
The pact was signed on the opening day of BIO 2017, one of the largest global events for the biotechnology sector, being held in San Diego in the US, an official spokesman said here.
KSIDC, the nodal investment promotion agency of the Kerala government, is expected to make good use of the networking and partnership opportunities available in the biotechnology/life sciences sectors, he added.
It has booked an exhibition area of 100 sq ft as part of the India Pavilion at the BIO 2017. KSIDC is representing the state government at the three-day event, which assumes significance in the the context of the proposed Life Sciences Park coming up at Thonnakkal near here.
The Managing Director of KSIDC signed the letter of intent in the presence Christy Fernandez, Chairman, and Union Minister YS Chowdary, the spokesman said.
W Ronnie Coffman, Director of International Programmes, represented Cornell. The tie-up will help KSIDC source inputs from Cornell for the agri, food, biomedical, veterinary and industrial biotechnology projects in the Life Sciences Park.
Cornell University is globally acclaimed for its strengths in these sectors.
At the San Diego event, KSIDC hopes to identify investors, particularly NRIs, for taking up ventures in the life sciences sector. Meetings have been scheduled with several such investors visiting the event.