At present, the capital city has only an incubation centre in Technopark, which could accommodate a maximum of 10 to 15 startups at a time.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The construction of the proposed emerging startup hub at Technopark Phase IV (Technocity) in the state capital will begin in December. The two Expressions of Interest (EOI) floated by the Kerala StartUp Mission (KSUM) for project management and strategic consultants have been opened, and five companies have participated.
Of these, three submitted bids for project management consultants and two for strategic consultants. The technical evaluation of the bids is underway. The consultants will be finalised within a month after completing the technical and financial evaluation.
However, a separate tender will be called in the coming months for the construction of the startup hub. The EOI was opened on June 26. The strategic consultant will do the job of identifying the 10 sectors of futuristic technologies where the new hub will focus. The project management consultant will evaluate the design and other plans for the hub.
As per the current design, there will be ten floors. The hub will be housed in a 5lakh sq ft building that will come up on 3 acres of land on the Technocity campus at Pallipuram. The building can accommodate around 1,000 startups, with a total construction cost of `145 crore.
“Once the consultants are finalised, we will start designing the project and deciding the 10 specific sectors where the hub will concentrate. It will have all the most advanced and futuristic technologies. Though we planned it to be a 10-storey building, it may change if we are allotted a larger space, “ said KSUM CEO Anoop P Ambika.
The detailed project report (DPR) is also under preparation. The proposed hub is modelled on the Kalamassery Startup Village. At present, the capital city has only an incubation centre in Technopark, which could accommodate a maximum of 10 to 15 startups at a time.
Project sources said this proposed area will become a hub for emerging technologies, with startups connecting technical and digital educational institutions, research centres, corporations, and governments. The three acres of land will be taken from the proposed research centre by TCS.