RU Launches First ‘Incubation Hub’ to Promote Industry-Oriented Research

RU Correspondent:  Rajshahi University (RU) has launched its first-ever ‘Incubation Hub’ with the aim of transforming university education and research into industry-oriented initiatives, creating entrepreneurs, increasing domestic production, and building a self-reliant nation.

The Incubation Hub has been established under the initiative of the Molecular Biology and Protein Science Laboratory (MBPSL) of the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at Rajshahi University.

The hub was inaugurated on Saturday (7 January) at 4:00 pm at its own premises by RU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib and the Chief Researcher of MBPSL Incubation Hub Professor Dr. Md. Abu Reza.

The Incubation Hub will serve as a supportive center for new entrepreneurs and startups. Through this platform, innovative business ideas will gradually be developed into sustainable enterprises. As a result, the hub is expected to play a significant role in fostering innovation-based entrepreneurship.

After the inauguration, the Vice-Chancellor said that the Incubation Hub would serve as an important model for creating entrepreneurs and building connections with the market. He stated that no such initiative has previously been taken by any university in Bangladesh. He expressed hope that, inspired by this laboratory, many more labs would begin similar work within the next year. He also extended his gratitude to all those involved with the project.

Chief Researcher Professor Dr. Md. Abu Reza said that the initiative was taken to make research at higher educational institutions more industry-focused. Their goal is to produce and market products within the country that are currently not manufactured locally. He noted that students will not only receive hands-on training but will also gain practical knowledge on how to establish and run a company.

He further mentioned that most biotechnology products used in hundreds of laboratories across Bangladesh are imported from abroad, despite the fact that these products can be manufactured locally. Already, plans have been made to develop eight products. Initially, the research will be developed within the Incubation Hub, and later, once companies provide funding, the products will be commercially marketed.

He added that the Incubation Hub can serve as an effective model for making laboratories sustainable. He criticized the current education system as still largely certificate-based, despite the presence of numerous talented students at universities. By utilizing their skills, it is possible to produce many necessary products within the country.

Expressing optimism, he said that in the initial phase, there are plans to supply the products developed in the Incubation Hub free of cost to the biotechnology, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical departments of various universities in Bangladesh. He believes this initiative will open a new horizon for research and entrepreneurship development not only at Rajshahi University but also across the country.

Among those present at the inauguration ceremony were RU Public Relations Administrator Professor Dr. Akhtar Hossain Mazumder, Additional Directors of IQAC Professor Dr. Md. Kamal Uddin and Professor Dr. Md. Monimul Haque, Associate Researcher of the Incubation Hub Dr. Khandakar Md. Khalid-bin-Ferdous, Managing Director of Invent Technology Limited Md. Rezaul Halim, General Manager Sheikh Md. Selim Al-Din, and others.