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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 7 (PTI) The NIIST on Monday said that it will collaborate with the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) to undertake research and development aimed at addressing critical technological challenges and emerging needs of the rubber sector.
The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), while the RRII comes under the Rubber Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The collaborative research and development (R&D) initiative will focus on “Development of Advanced Functional Materials and Innovative Solutions for the Technological Issues in Rubber Sector”, NIIST said in a release.
Discussions on the proposed
collaboration were held on Monday at CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of top officials of RRII, NIIST, Rubber Board and scientists from both institutions.
The collaboration is envisaged under the NIIST Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Hub (NIIST-ITE Hub) established at Bio 360 Life Science Park, Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram, with the support of CSIR and the Government of Keralam, the release said.
The Hub aims to extend R&D support, incubation, training and timely Science and Technology (S&T) interventions for promoting the rubber and allied sectors in Keralam, it said.
The proposed areas of collaborative research include development of indigenous chemicals and organic/hybrid cross-linking synthetic reagents to reduce import dependence, innovative recycling processes, microbial treatment of effluents for pollution-free rubber processing, implementation of NIIST process know-how for odour control, innovative processes for de-vulcanisation of rubber products and development of high-performance, high-value rubber products for sustainable business, it further said.
Dr C Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, during the discussions said that the rubber sector is an important component of Keralam’s industrial and economic ecosystem, and there is a strong need for indigenous, sustainable and technologically advanced solutions to address its emerging challenges.
“CSIR-NIIST brings multidisciplinary expertise in materials, chemical, biological and process technologies, while RRII has deep domain expertise and close engagement with the rubber sector. This collaboration will provide a strong platform to translate scientific knowledge into practical technologies for the benefit of the rubber industry, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders,” he said.
Vasanthagesan, IRS, Executive Director, Rubber Board, who also spoke on the occasion, said that the collaboration between NIIST and the Rubber Board goes beyond the two institutions.
“This collaboration is not going to end between CSIR-NIIST and the Rubber Board. It is going to benefit the entire rubber sector, including stakeholders at the upstream, midstream and downstream levels, particularly rubber farmers,” he said.
The collaborative programme is also expected to support the development of S&T skills among employees in rubber-based industries, start-ups, entrepreneurs and research scholars. It will leverage the complementary interdisciplinary expertise of CSIR-NIIST and RRII while addressing the specific requirements of the Indian rubber sector, with particular relevance to Keralam, the release said. PTI HMP SA
