The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA), the state Government agency responsible for developing industry specific parks, is setting up two mega biotechnology parks in the state, at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
While the Kerala Biotechnology Park will come up at Kalamassery near Kochi on a 50-acre plot, the park at Thiruvananthapuram will be a 25-acre facility housed within the premises of the KINFRA Apparel Park coming up near Thumba, according to KINFRA sources.
Both the parks have been identified to give thrust for developing immuno diagnostics and vaccines in the healthcare sector, tissue culture and extraction of medicinal plants in the agri-biotech sector, bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers, besides enzymes in the industrial biotech sector.
The parks are planned to be a combination of the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), pilot plant and an exclusive Business Enterprising Zone (BEZ). While the TIC's will provide the modules for research and development in biotechnology, the BEZ's consists of developed plots to be utilized for setting up the units.
At the Thumba Kerala Biotechnology Park, the TIC and related facilities will be located on a land area of around four acres and the balance 21 acres will be used as BEZ, divided into one-acre plots.
At Kalamassery, KINFRA has already acquired a 50-acre plot behind the HMT company premises, and that area would be utilized for developing the Kerala Biotechnology Park's BEZ at Kochi, said the sources.