UK and India research partnership reaches £400 million: UK Science Minister
London, Apr 18 (IBNS): Science Minister Sam Gyimah on Wednesday announced that as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, the latter country will continue to grow its already strong research partnership with India with tech-focused investments that focus on issues of global importance including agriculture, clean energy, global health and the environment.
Britain is established as India’s second largest research partner, with joint investment between both countries in science and innovation having grown from almost nothing in 2008 to around £400 million by 2021, including over 200 individual projects, involving 175 different UK and Indian research institutions and more than 100 industry partners, funded in the last decade.
The expanded partnership will help deliver on the UK’s ambition to be the world’s most innovative nation through its Industrial Strategy, while ensuring UK and Indian researchers, innovators and institutions are combining knowledge and expertise to feed the world’s hungry, protect our environment, save lives and drive economic inclusion.
For example, the UK and India are working to deliver a second wave of new joint projects under the Global Research Programme on Health, with UK and Indian researchers working trilaterally with partners in low-income countries to look at chronic and infectious diseases facing women and their unborn children.
Science Minister Sam Gyimah said: "By combining our best minds, our brightest innovators and our most forward-thinking institutions we will strengthen the living and learning bridge between our countries and achieve more together than we could alone."
"India is the world’s fastest growing major research power and the UK is one of the world’s top performing research nations. Together we will continue to build our unique relationship, ensuring that it is a partnership that brings benefits to countries across the world through world-class research that address shared goals," he said.
Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive UK Research and Innovation, said: "The creation of UK Research and Innovation comes at an exciting time for both the UK and India. As the UK aims to raise total research and development investments to address global development challenges and new strategic priorities, so is India boosting investment in research and innovation, presenting a huge opportunity for collaboration in business-led innovation and high-quality research that changes lives."
The Met Office and the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) have signed a statement of intent to establish a Weather and Climate Science for Service Partnership for India (WCSSP India), supported by the Newton-Bhabha Fund.
WCSSP India will facilitate joint scientific research to improve natural hazard forecasts, particularly for high-impact weather events.
As part of the UK-India Technology Partnership being agreed on Wednesday by PM Theresa May and Indian Prime Minister Modi, the UK and India have also announced a shared ambition to strengthen the two countries manufacturing relationship.
The Technology Partnership will build on existing cooperation with the UK and India set to complete a joint study as part of the Partnership the first step towards the potential establishment of an Advanced Manufacturing Centre.
Such a centre would support each nation’s Industrial Strategy and in turn drive growth and jobs in both countries.
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