The Technology Advancement Unit (TAU) was set-up in 2010 in New Delhi as an adjunct to the Project Management Unit (PMU) set-up in Switzerland to facilitate and monitor the projects carried out under the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB) Programme. Beyond the tenure of the ISCB programme the TAU to function as a distinct project management unit for the various projects under the broad framework of Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The TAU has been involved in Project Monitoring and Management, Intellectual Property Management and Technology transfer of ISCB funded projects.

The TAU has been established with the following functions: 

• Partnerships: Project Facilitation and Implementation Support

The TAU has been involved in facilitating access to new skills, services and expertise for the project partners through external linkages wherever necessary during the product validation, regulatory dossier development and product delivery planning phase. TAU has been assisting project partners to comply with technology licensing procedures, intellectual property protection process and license agreement compliance needs.

• Project Management

The TAU has been critically engaged in scientific and administrative project monitoring and ensure timely adherence to milestones as per project agreements.

• Financial Management

The TAU has been assisting the project partners in better financial planning, and    ensuring that project overruns do not occur. TAU has been providing resource management support by facilitating timely disbursal of project resources to partner institutions, monitoring deployment through periodic review of expenditure statements, and harmonized procedures to be adopted by partner institution in accounting for expenditure.

TAU’s overall goal:

The Technology Advancement Unit (TAU) under the ISCB was envisaged as a facilitator of the projects being carried under the ISCB Program, and to promote technology transfer in a development context. TAU also created an enabling environment for efficient and effective implementation of individual projects under the ISCB, through active exchange of information internally and with stakeholders from academia, governments and public and private institutions and eventually the community.

Key Achievements:

• Successful technology management including IP, licensing, monitoring and compliance of ISCB networks (Phase III).
• Publication and successful organization of ISCB symposium “A decade of experience in R&D and technology management”, March 10-11, 2011
• Successfully transferred and managed the Biofertilizer Technology to private industry developed in ISCB project partnerships.
• Market analysis of Biosensor project for informed decision on funding
• initiated the Excellence through Stewardship (ETS) programme with ISCB, which is the first initiative in Indian public organizations.
• Successfully engaged two new public partners and advancement of Cry-chickpea lines into selected premiere germplasms available.
• Technical monitoring, evaluation and support of ISCB phase IV networks.