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Sweden-India Partners in Research & Innovation
There is a long history of collaborative research and co-innovation between India and Sweden. The Sweden-India science and innovation partnership has gone from strength to strength in last couple of years and high-level diplomatic visits have boosted interest in bilateral collaboration between the two countries.
A Memorandum of Understanding on Science and Technology between the governments of India and Sweden was signed 2005 and covers all the fields of science and technology. VINNOVA, was assigned by the Swedish Government to take the lead to operationalize research and innovation collaborations between Swedish and Indian researchers. On the Indian side the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, has been the nodal organization for collaboration.
In April 2018, during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Stockholm, Sweden and India agreed to deepen the collaboration between India and Sweden, through the Joint Declaration on Innovation Partnership for a Sustainable Future. The partnership aims to increase impact of bilateral cooperation in innovation, science and technology.
Through joint activities, both countries will untap synergies from existing strategic initiatives, create new platforms and forums for knowledge sharing and foster demand-driven innovation to address global challenges and social needs.
Thematic areas include:
The long relationship between India and Sweden continues to thrive on the
mutual ambition to tackle societal challenges, not the least within the spectrum of innovation. It is through co-funding, co-development and co-creation that we find solutions and create impact. The Sweden-India Innovation Partnership bridges institutions, R&D intensive
industry and creative entrepreneurs to address global challenges in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In order to take the joint declaration on innovation partnership forward, collaborations have been instigated within
below areas:
The Swedish government has earmarked an additional 50 million SEK to Vinnova to commence and inaugurate the innovation partnership. This funding is to be used for innovation cooperation in co-creation with India, in areas related to smart cities and sustainability, covering several of the proposed collaboration areas in the partnership. Swedish Energy Agency has committed 25 million SEK over 4 years for research and innovation collaboration with India. In 2019, both countries will launch challenge-based joint industrial R&D and
technological innovation projects to address challenges and opportunities
identified by both parties. DST and Vinnova launched a jointly funded Industrial R&D program in the area of Smart Cities and AI. DBT and Vinnova will initiate a jointly funded program in the area of AI and Healthcare.
Find out more about Sweden-India research collaboration –
SWEDISH RESEARCH COUNCIL The Swedish Research Council signed an agreement with Department of
Science and Technology (DST) in January 2013 for a joint research program. The program covers all disciplines within medicine, natural sciences and engineering sciences. A call 2015-2016 was made in the areas of "e-Science for life science" and "Antimicrobial resistance in a one Health perspective". In addition to DST and the Swedish Research Council, this call was made jointly with the research council Formas and VINNOVA. The agreement with DST was renewed in 2018, and another Joint network call with DST was announced in 2018 in the area of "computer science" and "materials science".
FORMAS Formas signed an agreement with DST in 2013 on joint research collaboration in Environmental technologies including clean technology and Green Chemistry, and environmental and agricultural research. One result was a bilateral research workshop held in Sweden. Formas is also a funding partner in the multilateral call during 2018 under the TaSE initiative, which aims to significantly improve our understanding of the complex interactions between people and the environment required to make progress in achieving the United Nations Global Goals (Sustainable Development Goals). Indian funding partner is Department of Biotechnology (DBT) among others from the UK, Japan and China.
FORTE Forte signed an agreement with Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) in
June 2015 for a joint research program in the field of "ageing and health". The joint call for proposals was opened in September 2016 and 5 joint research projects were funded in 2017 focusing on two themes: assistive and innovative technology and home-based care. Forte and ICMR reiterated their commitment to further joint research on ageing and health. Coming collaborations would widen the scope of the proposed research into the following areas: life course approach to healthy ageing; cognitive decline and dementia; working life and ageing; palliative and end of life; nutrition and ageing. Forte has initiated discussions with Indian Council of Social Science Research
(ICSSR) to develop collaboration between the agencies. Several areas of interest have been discussed and Forte maintains an interest in particular in the areas of health, welfare reform, digitalisation and migration. Separately, discussions have been held on workshops on research of welfare reform.
VINNOVA
Vinnova has active collaboration with Department of Science and Technology
(DST) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The first call was announced jointly by VINNOVA and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, and dealt with the diagnosis, understanding and treatment of Tuberculosis. Four 3-year projects have been completed. A second call was opened in January 2013 together with the Swedish Research Council and eventually 8 projects were funded. A third call in the health area, with an innovation and industry - academia collaboration approach, was opened by VINNOVA and DBT in September 2016. A total of five projects were funded.
VINNOVA and DST had a call for joint research projects in the field of embedded systems in 2010. Six 3-year projects were funded. A new call in the same field was held in 2015 and four joint proposals were funded. VINNOVA and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) had a call for joint research projects in e-Health in 2008 and in this program two 3-year projects were selected for funding selected for funding between 2009-2012.
SWEDISH ENERGY AGENCY
In the renewable energy area, the Swedish Energy Agency is working together
with the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Together with the Confederation of Indian Industry the India Sweden Innovations' Accelerator has been launched to facilitate technology transfer from innovative Swedish companies.
Sweden-India Partners in Research and Innovation
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