Knowledge Valley project to accelerate Keralam’s transformation into a knowledge hub

Initiative will foster collaborations: Minister Shri Roji M John

Trivandrum / September 18, 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 18: Kerala is all set to roll out a transformational project called Kerala Knowledge Valley and Research Park to position the state as a global knowledge hub by building on the existing higher education and research base while exploring private sector participation and partnership with international universities.

This was the focus of a key session on the concluding day of the three-day ‘Reimagining Keralam’ event, which brought together stakeholders through a series of round-table conferences to help put the government’s flagship projects on an implementation path.

Shri Roji M John, Minister of Higher Education, and Shri B. Ashok, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, led the deliberations.

“Keralam has a strong foundation in higher education and research, and the Knowledge Valley and Research Park is envisaged as a platform to connect this existing asset with industry, innovation and global opportunities,” Shri Roji M John said.

“Our objective is not to create another standalone institution but to build a seamless knowledge ecosystem that generates economic value, opportunities for young talent and strengthens Keralam’s position as a global knowledge hub,” the Minister added.

Dr Ashok said the focus of the project has to be on converting the considerable knowledge and research capabilities already available in the state into practical applications and economic opportunities.

The initiative aims to strengthen Keralam’s economy and innovation ecosystem. It seeks to build on the existing higher-education and research base, while expanding scope for private-sector participation and partnerships with international universities.

The Research Park, a vital part of the initiative, is envisaged as an industry-linked platform for research, centres of excellence, shared advanced infrastructure, technology transfer, and prototyping and deep-tech development.

The participants stressed the need for building stronger links between education, research and the industry.

A key theme was the need to move beyond conventional academic structures towards research that can generate practical applications and economic value. One proposal called for PhD programmes to move from a predominantly dissertation-based approach towards activity-based research, with greater engagement with industry and real-world problems.

Healthcare research was cited as an area where stronger industry participation could make a difference. Industry-academia collaboration could help translate research into products, services and commercial opportunities.

Participants also pointed out that a large amount of existing academic research remains underused. University postgraduate dissertations could be systematically reviewed to identify research with potential for further development. One proposal suggested using AI as an initial screening mechanism to identify promising work, followed by expert assessment.

Retired professors, a largely untapped resource, could contribute to reviewing and developing academic research.

The Knowledge Valley also envisages convergence with the Government of India’s University Township programme, bringing research-oriented domestic and international universities together with shared laboratories, infrastructure and mechanisms to move research towards commercialisation and enterprise creation.

Participants also proposed creating a global virtual classroom as part of Knowledge Valley. A knowledge audit was also suggested to map the state’s existing research capabilities, infrastructure, expertise and intellectual assets.

Another proposal focused on Keralam’s unused or underutilised spaces within colleges and universities, which could be brought into the Knowledge Valley network rather than creating entirely new physical infrastructure.

Keralam’s existing research institutions could form another pillar of the initiative. Participants noted that the state has around 47 research institutions working across areas including space, agriculture and minerals, among others, and argued that these institutions should be integrated into the proposed knowledge network.

The initiative is ultimately intended to establish measurable outcomes over the next five to 10 years and develop a distinctive knowledge-led model for Keralam.

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