Kerala is getting its first medical device parks. The Union government will be setting up these parks soon and focus on the high-risk medical device sector for providing full range of services for the medical devices industry such as R&D support, testing and evaluation.

MedSpark, a joint initiative of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. India, and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC), which is the industrial and investment promotion agency of Kerala Govt., now going to have Life Science Park at Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.

Ministry of Science & Technology released an official statement, saying, “This medical device park will stand out with its emphasis on the high-risk medical device sector involving medical implants and extracorporeal devices, in which SCTIMST scores with its knowledge.”

Through the Medical Devices Park, R&D will have a support system, testing and evaluation of medical devices, manufacturing support, technology innovation, and knowledge impartation, which totals the entire range of services that medical devices industry searches.

Ministry of Science & Technology added, “These services can be utilized by the medical device industries located within the MedSpark as well from other parts of India. This will benefit small and medium-sized medical devices industries, which dominate the medical devices sector.” 

The foundation stone for the Medical Devices Park will be laid by Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, on coming Thursday, September 24, 2020.

 Dr. VK Saraswat, NITI Aayog Member and the President of SCTIMST, said, “Sree Chitra has made substantial contributions to the biomedical devices sector over the last 30 or more years and has established itself as a pioneer in this field. This is a milestone for biomedical devices industry in the country and is fully aligned with the Prime Minister’s Vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary DST, stated, “The aspect that will distinguish this Medical Device Park from the few other similar projects proposed in the country is that it will focus on the high-risk medical device sector involving medical implants and extracorporeal devices, the domain in which SCTIMST has considerable expertise and experience.”

MedSpark will be able to leverage the pre-existing advantage of the Kerala State in the high-risk medical device manufacture for developing it into the most sought-after destination for setting up the medical device industry in India.

At present, the state of Kerala has a plethora of medical device companies, which earns its Rs. 750 crores.

Dr. Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST, concluded, “The park is being established under the Technical Research Centre for Biomedical devices program of the DST, through a knowledge partnership with KSIDC, Government of Kerala, tapping the ecosystem that exists in the city with several research and academic institutions and health care centers. It was possible with the support of various departments of the Central Government and Niti Aayog.”