Don Bosco College, Panjim, heralded the upcoming New Year with the inauguration of FiiRe Work, a campus-based technology incubator, on Dec 21, 2021. Mr D S Prashant, the CEO of Forum for Innovation Incubation Research and Entrepreneurship (FiiRe), shed light on how much the FiiRE incubator at Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, had achieved in the last few years. He explained how more than 35 startups were incubated there, some of which focus on reducing temperature, while others worked on innovations in the field of education or some ship-building aspect.
The chief guest for the day, Mr Jose Noronha, Chairman of Goa Public Service Commission, & Chairman, Goa State Innovation Council commended the work of FiiRe, Fatorda, and expressed his appreciation that another branch was being set up in Panjim to encourage and promote technological advancement. He explained the concept of how an incubator prematurely handles ideas. He also stressed that as educators it is important to listen when young people come up with ideas. “So many things that are commonplace today were once mere ideas taking shape in an incubator, †he shared, citing a few examples, “while some failed, others succeeded and today are famous.â€
Apart from celebrating the inauguration of FiiRe Work at Don Bosco College, Panjim, the day also marked the 75th anniversary of the Salesian presence in Panjim. The Director of Don Bosco College of Engineering and FiiRe, Fr Kinley D’Cruz, emphasized the need for innovators to help improve things and add value to life. Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, he expressed how innovators need to take painstaking efforts to achieve results.
After the ceremonial watering of a plant, the two new startups signed their contracts and were offered financial support to develop their ideas further. The inaugural took place in the esteemed presence of the Chief Guest Mr Jose Noronha, Rector Fr Avin Carvalho, Vice-Provincial Fr Clive Telles, Don Bosco College Panjim Director Fr Joaquim Lobo, Principal Dr Cedric Silveira, Don Bosco College of Engineering Fatorda Rector Fr Paul D’Souza, Director Fr Kinley D’Cruz and Principal Dr Neena Panandikar, along with the core members of FiiRe, Fatorda and the staff of Don Bosco College.of the Provincial and Vice-Provincial of Don Bosco, Panjim, the Director and Principal of Don Bosco College, Panjim, the Director and Principal of Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda,along with the core members of FiiRe, Fatorda.
The existence of this co-working space and technological incubator in the heart of the capital city will hopefully give young people the platform needed to bring some promising ideas to life in the near future thus heralding a bright new year ahead.