Mangaluru to become marine biotech hub

Mangaluru: In a bid to enhance India's blue economy, a Marine Biotech Innovation Centre is expected to take shape at the Fisheries College in Mangaluru city. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that fisheries will be given priority as the Nation's blue economy has to be developed.

The Fisheries College has set a goal to establish the innovation Centre and get it running in the next one month. According to sources, research activities will be taken up under the college to produce food and consumption products from various marine species.

It is believed that other developed countries are making use of such marine resources to produce innovative products to aid the country's domestic consumption. Taking a cue from these countries, India is now driven to put the extensive peninsular coastline to promote such activities.

The Marine Biotech Innovation Centre will be established with a Rs. 6 crore fund that is expected from the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS). The innovation Centre will serve as a hub for startups that specialise in research and development of value-added products made from biological marine organisms.

At present, the Fisheries College authorities have envisioned products made from seaweed and fish along with biofuels and desalinated seawater. Sources claim that the innovation Centre will be built in a 4,200 square feet area which will have a laboratory, training Centre and an office. The innovation Centre will also be able to host 100 startups within three years.