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Establishing a sustainable innovation ecosystem requires a well-connected network of entrepreneurs, domestic and foreign private enterprises, educational and research institutions, government agencies, investors, business incubators, and technology and business mentors.

This need has led to establishment of regional innovation clusters in many parts of the world. Such innovation clusters bring together capital, expertise, and talent to foster technological breakthroughs that have a tremendous impact on society. The conceptualization of  the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster (BeST) is a collaborative effort of more than 50+ organizations, including major academic institutions, industry partners, start-ups , civil society organizations and government bodies.

This effort was coordinated by the  Indian Institute of science (IISc) with the Director, IISc, Professor Govindan Rangarajan as the Principal Investigator (PI) and Professor Ambarish Ghosh of IISc and Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO CCAMP as the CO-PIs. The seed funding for the BeST was sanctioned in September 2022 by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

Establishing a sustainable innovation ecosystem requires a well-connected network of The BeST cluster was formally launched at the plenary session of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2022, by the Honorable PSA, Prof. Ajay Sood, in the presence of Prof. G Padmanabhan (former Director of IISc (Indian Institute of Science)) and Shri.S. Gopalakrishnan (Kris), Co-founder, Infosys, on 16th November 2022.

Prof. Sood observed that Bengaluru has enormous research & technological potential and Karnataka is a leader in science and technology. He anticipates the BeST cluster to catalyze the success of the S&T (Science & Technology) cluster initiative not just in Bengaluru but in the region, country, and internationally. At the launch, Co-PI Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed said, “Bangalore is a city of science, innovation, and opportunity. The BeST cluster launch could be a landmark for Science and Technology in India and the world. We aim to bring together stakeholders with shared ecosystems, identify and address problems with locally relevant solutions, and then scale up nationally and internationally by building global competitiveness. BeST cluster activities will be based on this ground-up pyramid model.” Co-PI Prof Ambarish Ghosh said, “Bengaluru Tech Summit is the ideal launchpad for the BeST Cluster. The impact of the cluster can be defined in many ways. In addition to immediate social and economic impact at a city scale, we must also consider the impact on sustainability and being globally competitive.” The Honorable PSA, Prof. Ajay Sood, Prof. G Padmanabhan (former Director of IISc), and Shri.S.Gopalakrishnan (Kris), Co-Founder, Infosys, carried out the launch by unfurling the BeST cluster poster, which outlines the cluster’s goals.

The Bengaluru S&T Cluster took a significant leap forward by transitioning into a Section 8 Company on 14th May 2024. Four leading institutions namely the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), and the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) came together to establish the non-profit organization named Foundation for Bengaluru Science and Technology.