In a significant step aimed at further strengthening the innovation and technology incubation ecosystem at IUST, the university has instituted a structured mechanism to support students in advancing their ideas towards higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Under the scheme, final-year students will be provided innovation grants to further develop their projects through support in procuring materials, prototyping, testing, and validation. The initiative is aimed at enabling students to translate their academic research into viable technological solutions and prototypes.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Shakil A Romshoo said that IUST has been consistently working towards building a vibrant ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology incubation through sustained institutional efforts. He emphasized the need to nurture an innovative mind-set among students and to identify and support promising ideas at an early stage. He noted that universities play a crucial role in bridging the gap between research, innovation and societal application. Such initiatives are intended to help students move their ideas from laboratories to real-world implementation.

Prof. Romshoo further stated that as India continues to emerge as one of the world’s largest innovation ecosystems, there is an increasing need to accelerate the translation of knowledge into technologies, products and scalable solutions. Strengthening innovation pipelines within universities and linking them with incubation and technology transfer processes is essential for this transition.

He added that in the context of emerging challenges, universities must play a proactive role in generating research-driven solutions across domains such as connectivity, healthcare, sustainable energy and climate resilience thereby contributing to knowledge-led development and societal progress.