EU and India team up to boost cooperation in science, technology and innovation
The EU-funded INDIGO POLICY project brought together a broad range of stakeholders from both regions in order to reinforce and further enhance STI policy collaboration. INDIGO POLICY gathered researchers, business leaders, policymakers and young scientists from the EU and India to share their views on strategic topics of mutual interest. These include energy, water and health – areas considered high priority within EU-India STI dialogue. Project partners supported policy dialogue by producing several policy briefs on current cooperation at EU and national levels. The documents covered various STI policy areas, including co-publications, co-patents, technology transfer, frugal innovation, migration and mobility, and the outcomes of Indo-European collaboration under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Bibliometric analysis showed a steep increase in the annual number of India-Europe co-publications over the last decade. This figure has quadrupled during this time. Europe became India’s most important co-publication partner, surpassing the United States. Outreach and multi-stakeholder engagement activities resulted in three Cooperation Days to reinforce cooperation in research and innovation. Held alternately in Europe and India, they focused on thematic priorities of common interest and served as a key forum for stakeholders to discuss ongoing and future STI cooperation. Over 600 participants attended the events. The INDIGO POLICY team worked towards making India a single point of entry for European industries and public organisations that want to establish a presence in the country. Focal Points were established in India to optimise information channels about Horizon 2020. Several networking events were also held to initiate collaborations and facilitate knowledge transfer. Project members supported India’s participation in EU funding schemes beyond Horizon 2020. As a result, the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance welcomed India as a new member. They also helped to set up a Water Technology Platform in India through expert meetings and industry-focused workshops. INDIGO POLICY played a pivotal role in taking Indo-European partnerships to another level for STI.
Keywords
India, science, technology and innovation, INDIGO POLICY, policy collaboration