A new beginning inside the Bhutan’s first IT Park, Bhutan Innovation and Technology Centre, BITC, was launched today. The BITC overlooks three components- business incubation, shared-technology centre and data centre services. The Centre was unveiled, bringing in new hope for new businesses in the country.
The Centre, which is located inside the Tech Park in Thimphu, was established to encourage and promote entrepreneurship of successful standard.
According to the Chief Executive Officer, Michael D Holland, BITC exists to provide a forum that small companies, new companies, individuals who got an entrepreneurial aspiration to come together and to have physical facilities and intellectual discussion. “Also Environment and Skills needed for business, all in one place so that they can come together and learn new skills. They can have mentors both from Bhutan and internationally and generally raise the standard of entrepreneurialism in Bhutan.”
Also inside the Centre has a world class data centre which has up to 10,000 square feet support space. The Promoter of the Data Centre Service, Richard Vass of the Burland Technology Solutions Limited, said it will deliver a global standard facility.
“Initially the data centre is being set up to save the incubation centre at the BITC. We have plenty of room for growth and we intend to plan to provide data centre service of internationally standard.”
This data centre service takes care of two major cost factors involved in operating the IT services such as sustainable green power and low cooling costs.
Thimphu Tech Park is a joint venture comprising Assetz Property Group, Singapore and Druk Holdings & Investments established as a flagship in developing Information and Technology in the country.
Business Incubation Centre
Meanwhile a Business Incubation Centre was launched at the BITC. The Incubation centre is expected to produce new jobs, products and services which are market driven.
Already they have identified what they called as incubatees, 10 of them, to be groomed and readied for the market.
“Now we have lots of people looking for jobs but there are not so many jobs available. And I think one of the ways to solve problem is through creation of successful enterprises and in order to have successful enterprises, we need to have more entrepreneurs and this Bhutan Innovation and Technology Centre is an initiative for just doing that,” said Tshering Cigay Dorji, Chief Operating Officer, BITC
The incubatees or entrepreneurs are selected on the basis of business viability and suitability of the market force. The consultant of the Centre said it is open to any kind of businesses who can bring in new skills and provide employment.
“These entrepreneurs will be associated with Centre for the period of 3 years but it depends on their growth. While they are in the Centre, they will get all the support and graduate from the incubation Centre and will establish themselves,” said Anjali Gulati, a Consultant.
Advices and support like business and financial planning; and sustainable growth strategies will be provided in the Centre by experts. The Incubation Centre has a capacity to take in up to 15 entrepreneurs at a time depending on how ready they are to take over the market.
