Thiruvananthapuram emerges front-runner

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital city has emerged as the front-runner for hosting the prestigious Knowledge City, essentially a ‘knowledge economy cluster’, after the discussion between the National Innovation Council (NInC) and the State Government attended by the top brass including Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and State’s Mentor Sam Pitroda. Knowledge City is one among the ten-point development agenda discussed for redefining  the State’s image and future.   As the knowledge-based economy is the fastest growing segment in the global economy, being  a significant job and wealth creator, the concept turns a more ‘hot’ topic.   Though Kozhikode and Kochi are possible locations for the Knowledge City,  Thiruvananthapuram has an edge over the other two though all the three have the proximity to international airports.   In assessment of NInC, institutions can be located in vertical space and land requirement limited to around 300 acres. Thiruvananthapuram reportedly has 299 acres of already acquired land seven km from Technopark and the balance available, along with excellent knowledge institutions. The city has the most developed knowledge ecosystem in the State with over a dozen world-class institutions of higher education and R&D. Technopark, Technocity, KINFRA, IT SEZ, C-DAC and C-DIT in the IT Sector, IISER, NIIST, VSSC, LPSC, Brahmos Aerospace and IIST in aerospace, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in the field of biotechnology, SCIMST and RCC in the field of medical sciences, Kerala University, IGNOU, KAU and Kerala Technical University in the field of higher education and the Technopark Business Incubator, Trivandrum Research and Engineering in the field of technology, business incubators and the proposed Indian Institute of Molecular Sciences in the field of basic research and education are in and around the city.Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor had made a strong plea for setting up the Knowledge City in a recent letter addressed to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. He had enumerated a number of advantages that the capital city possessed for being the location of the trend-setting proposal.