INSTITUTE – INDUSTRY LINKAGE: PRESENT STTUS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
Educational institutes under universities are constantly engaged in research apart from the academic activities. However, the funds given directly to the educational institutes, by the Government, for the research are meager and may reduce further in days to come. This situation can only be improved by either getting approved research schemes from the funding agencies of the government or developing linkages with industry. The later is just like outsourcing and benefits both the institutes as well as the industry because one side it helps the institutes financially and on the other side the industry saves its capital as it need not develop the whole parafernia, which include the efficient technical and scientific manpower apart from other infrastructural facilities, required for research.
At present, the institute to industry linkages is mostly aimed at drug testing trials and many companies are coming forward to get their drugs tested by the learned faculty of the educational institutes. Moreover, now-a-days even the patenting agencies are asking the institutes of higher education for getting the products tested for their efficacy, accuracy and precision. These products include not only drugs but also techniques and equipments. Such developments have come to the rescue of educational institutes, to some extent, for laboratory instrumentation and finance.
However, still there are many areas which have been left untouched in such linkages and needs attention. These include development of newer techniques, more efficient drugs and drug delivery systems, instrumentation, etc.