JOIN US To generate new business opportunities for European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India in biotech, energy, environment and transport sectors, the European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC) launched European Technology Experience Centre in Bangalore, its first in India.
The Centre is aimed at creating a platform for European firms to showcase their technologies, products and prototypes to their Indian counterparts and enhance ties between them, using virtual collaboration software. It will allow Indian researchers, entrepreneurs and project developers to physically and virtually experience clean technologies from European companies and connect with them.
After the launch, the director of EBTC, New Delhi, Poul V Jensen told reporters, “There is a clear mismatch between Europe firms and Indian firms; Europe has a lot to offer in the four sectors, but is unable to find the right solutions to fit Indian needs.”
“Our mandate is to show Europe what India wants from Europe, it will be about localizing technology for India,” he said.
EBTC is a programme co-funded by the European Union (EU) and coordinated by Eurochambres, which represents about 2,000 business chambers spread across 45 countries in Europe, according to director, international affairs, Eurochambres, Brussels, Dirk Vantyghem.
It supports European Union clean technology companies and researchers and handholds in the initial stages of expansion.
He said that there are about 24 million SMEs in Europe, but less than 10 per cent export their products outside the European Union.
The EBTC has been successful in facilitating about 15 joint ventures between Indian and European firms, Vantyghem said.
The Charge dáffaires, European Union delegation to India, Pavel Svitil said that EBTC's initiatives are also aimed at increasing bilateral trade between the EU and India, currently estimated at $110 billion euros.