WIP Labs to bring revolution in generating IPRs

Kolkata, Apr 20 (UNI) The West Bengal government has decided to start a Wireless Innovation Platform Labs (WIP Labs), the first of its kind in the world, to generate and commercialise Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

The Rs 400 crore WIP labs, a premier innovation company, would start its operation here from July and signed two MoUs with Calcutta University and Bengal Engineering and Science University in this regard.

Inaugurating the WIP Labs here today, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said, '' This is a red-letter day for us in the field of technology and telecom as we will now be able to catch up with the developed countries. '' '' The future and strength of any country will now depend on the number of IPRs it has and so we have decided to start this project to make India a dominant player in the fourth generation (4G) globally, '' he said.

State IT Minister Debesh Das said the government for the first time was going to fund any private ltd company and for this Rs 15 crore had been sanctioned.

'' We want the faculties and students to be involved in the Research and Development in this field, emerging as a global phenomenon, '' Mr Das said.

WIP Labs, a Danish concept, had been implemented by Chairman Ramjee Prasad, the Director of Center for Teleinfrastruktur in Denmark.

Asked why they chose West Bengal for the project, Mr Prasad said the state has the most conducive environment for the IT project.

Mr Prasad said Kolkata would be the headquarter for the WIP Labs and would have the business and research market.

About 20 acre of land had been sactioned by the government at Rajarhat.

The company would enable every user with personal networking to share self-generated content and access data at any time and any place through IPRs, WiMAX, Wi-Fia and 4G wireless technologies.

The concept would also benfit the rural population, Mr Prasad said adding the next project would come up in Oman this December along with Thailand and South America by 2008.

UNI