| |19 NOVEMBER 2026HIGHERReviewThe approximately 3,160-square-foot facility functions as a student-managed interdisciplinary makerspace, providing exposure to design thinking, digital fabrication, Physical AI, IoT, robotics, rapid prototyping and product development. It enables students to move from conceptual ideas towards physical prototypes and solutions while encouraging them to build, test, improve and try again.The University's research and innovation ecosystem is further supported by five Centres of Excellence and specialised innovation facilities: Tinkerers' Lab; Hitspectra Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Technology (Taiwan); Fortinet Centre of Excellence for cybersecurity; IBM Centre of Excellence for industry-integrated technology education; and Dr. Sudha & Dr. Satish Khare Innovation & Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory.Innovation challenges provide another avenue for students to apply their learning. Through the Smart India Hackathon, 815 students and 260 teams registered, with 140 teams shortlisted in Phase 1, 65 qualifying for Round 2 and 45 teams, along with a further seven, selected at the final stage. These initiatives are helping make experimentation and problem-solving accessible to a wider student community.Strengthening Industry and Global ConnectionsSanjivani University views industry collaboration as extending beyond placements. Curriculum inputs, internships, projects, expert sessions, technology training, certification, collaborative research and innovation form part of its broader engagement model.The University has documented 39 MoUs and partner organisations, including NASSCOM, IBM, Fortinet, HCLTech, TCS, ZOHO Corporation, ICT Academy, NISM, Bajaj Finserv, BITS Pilani, Hetero Drugs, Tata Indian Institute of Skills and LinkedIn Learning. These engagements provide exposure to industry practices, professional skills, technology, certifications and internships.Sanjivani i-Connect further strengthens industry-academia interaction, including engagement with HCLTech around AI adoption, automation, digital transformation and future workforce requirements. The University's engagement with the NASSCOM/IT-ITES Sector Skills Council also supports its focus on emerging technology skills.International collaboration is another important component. Relationships with Mabalacat City College and Northwestern University in the Philippines, and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Shinas, Oman, create opportunities for academic exchange, collaborative research and student and faculty engagement. The University has also facilitated international exposure through programmes involving Taiwan, Russia and Japan. More than 150 students have taken up opportunities in Japan over the last three years.From Ideas to Intellectual Property & EntrepreneurshipSanjivani University's innovation pathway seeks to move ideas from research and prototyping towards validation, intellectual property, incubation and, where appropriate, enterprise. The Tinkerers' Lab and innovation challenges such as the Smart Ko-pargaon Hackathon provide platforms for students to address practical problems and develop technology-driven solutions."Faculty members play an important mentoring role, helping students identify problems, conduct research, develop prototypes and explore opportunities for intellectual-property protection or entrepreneurship", says Amit Nitinrao Kolhe.The University's intellectual-property activity includes eight patents published and 155 copyrights registered during the reporting period. Entrepreneurship initiatives have also engaged 1,165 students through MSME-focused activities. The objective is not to turn every project into a start-up, but to develop creativity, resilience and the confidence to explore how research can create value.Advancing Research with Social and Sustainable PurposeSanjivani University aims to strengthen research across AI, cybersecurity, IoT, robotics, advanced computing and sustainable technologies, while developing capabilities in prototyping, intellectual property, incubation and commercialisation. Its five-to-ten-year roadmap emphasises deeper industry partnerships, stronger international research networks and enhanced research capacity among faculty and students. A proposed 50,000-square-foot Innovation Park, alongside incubation centres, co-working spaces and shared laboratories, is envisaged to help ideas move from research to prototype, enterprise and impact.Sustainability remains central to this vision, reflecting San-jivani's founding philosophy of empowering rural communities through education. Research is being directed towards chal-lenges across agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, educa-tion, industry, communities and environmental management.With 241 documented contributions across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the University is connecting academic activity with broader societal priorities. By integrating education, research, innovation, industry engagement, entrepreneurship and social responsibility, Sanjivani University is positioning research as an integral part of learning and a pathway to tangible impact. It aims to strengthen research across AI, cybersecurity, IoT, robotics, advanced computing and sustainable technologies, while developing capabilities in prototyping, intellectual property, incubation and commercialization.
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