Germany seeks R&D ties in India
A 75-member strong German delegation is in the country to further the relationship between the two nations in the fields of research and development and trade, as also to market Germany as the hub of innovation, sources told Deccan Herald.
German Federal Ministry of Education & Research sources said the delegation will meet viable partners from India, both academicians and industry players to discuss suitable collaboration plans.
Germany is looking aggressively at investment opportunities in India in sectors like automotive, alternative energy, defence and transport among other things to boost bilateral trade between the countries.
Taking this forward, German Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel is scheduled to meet officials in New Delhi on Friday to discuss strategic partnerships as also decide on a roadmap for the next two years. Meanwhile, India and Germany have already signed a strategic partnership –– ‘India and Germany-Strategic Partners for Innovation –– over two years ago and several initiatives have been kicked off under this banner.
For instance, the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) set up in 2007 is a platform where activities in fields like biotechnology, energy, environmental technology, health research, production technologies et al take place.
IGSTC, which became operational in 2009, houses projects on a 2+2 model –– a representative from industry and academics each from both the nations –– that are funded by both the governments.
Similarly, Fraunhofer Institute of Bamboo research is in the process of finalising partners to initiate a project on utilisation of Bamboo. Likewise TU (technical university) Braunschweig is in talks with Automotive Research Authority of India (ARAI) on similar lines.
