The feasibility study of the proposed marine biotechnology park near Chennai will be submitted by the month end , according to informed sources in Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the state owned organisation that has been entrusted with the development of the park. The feasibility study is being conducted by Chennai based ABL Biotechnology. The cost of the park would be detailed out once the feasibility study has been submitted, according to K.O. Issac, Managing Director, ABL Biotechnology.

The said feasibility report is a revised one. Earlier, the marine biotechnology park was to come at two different centres, Mandapam near Rameshwaram and Chennai. However ecological problems and the Coastal Regulatory Zone Act came in way of the setting of the park, thus necessitating changing the location. Thereafter Chennai was chosen and the feasibility study was revised again.

The revised feasibility study now incorporates setting up a bio- resource centre attached to the park in the backdrop of the fact that the state accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the marine bio resources in the country. TIDCO sources maintained that a bio-resource centre would be set up accordingly.

The task of the bio-resource centre, according to the sources, would be to help identify, develop, patent and commercialise marine biotechnology resources. It is maintained that qualified individuals or groups would collect the potential marine resources and supply them to the centre, which in turn will conduct research activities and develop the necessary intellectual property rights (IPR). Profits accruing from IPR developed would be shared with the individuals and/or groups, the sources added. However, the ratio of sharing profits is still to be arrived at.

TIDCO is also planning to provide other infrastructure facilities besides the resource centre within the marine biotechnology park. The same will include processing facilities , laboratories, legal facilities to register IPRs, incubator and other support systems.