Chennai Corporation to develop an innovation hub to find tech innovations for civic issues – The Hindu

The Chennai Corporation is planning to develop an ‘innovation hub’ in the city to promote tech innovations for civic services, infrastructure, welfare schemes and local administration.

A meeting of civic officials was held to develop the innovation hub. Once the State government accepts the proposal, the civic body is likely to start work on its development, attracting research scholars specialising in urban studies.

According to officials, engineers will be permitted to work on innovations relating to solid waste management, eco-restoration and re-mediation of existing dump yards. The civic body is yet to find appropriate technology to handle its municipal solid waste. The re-mediation of the Perungudi dumpyard and Kodungaiyur dumpyard remains a challenge even after 10 years of announcing the launch of the project, they point out.

Many of the 30 old school buildings which were closed by the Chennai Corporation 11 years ago are expected to be used for the innovation hub. Access to the innovation hub will be regulated by the Chennai Corporation, officials said.

Young engineers, planners and research scholars will be allowed to work on research topics in the innovation hub with the assistance of Chennai Corporation engineers who will provide data relating to the civic infrastructure and issues.

The Chennai Corporation engineers will, however, not interfere in the research work of individual teams at the hub. “We are yet to finalise important aspects of the innovation hub. A decision will be taken shortly,” said an official. The new innovations are expected to facilitate start-ups relating to civic services and local administration in the city, officials said.