THD NewsDesk, Chennai: Kerala is all set to have its first medical device park, MedSpark that promises a wide range of services to the medical devices industry, including R&D support. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the state’s first medical device park on 24th September. The project falls under the Atma Nirbharta or Self-reliance policy of Modi government is one of the four medical device parks to be established by the government.
The institution had its inauguration ceremony on 24th September. The presence of Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan graced the event while the chief minister laid the foundation stone of the facility. The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has collaborated with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is all geared up to establish the medical devices manufacturing facility soon.
The project is located at the Life Science Park, Thonnakkal. Both the State and Central governments are financing it. MedSpark strives to develop a support system for research and development and testing and evaluation of medical devices. Moreover, it is designed to assist the medical devices industry in the manufacturing process. The facility will also act as a technology business incubation centre that will generate up to 4,000 – 5,000 jobs through supporting initiatives like OEM suppliers, service providers and marketing support activities.
“MedSpark is envisaged as an opportunity to leverage the existing advantage of the Kerala State in the high-risk medical device manufacture and develop it into the most sought- after destination for setting up the medical device industry in India”, said V.K. Saraswat, NITI Aayog Member and the president of SCTIMST.
MedSpark is expected to have a corner for medical device Testing and Evaluation Centre accredited to international agencies and an R&D Resource Centre for facilitating Research & Development in the medical device domain.
These facilities will be accessible to institutions from other parts of India as well, keeping in mind the interest of small and medium-sized medical devices industries in the medical devices sector.
The other three states to benefit from the scheme are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Additionally, MedSpark would focus on manufacturing high-risk medical devices, making the facility different from other medical device parks.