Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
India and European Union have renewed its Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the next five years (2020-2025).
Details
- The extension of Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation ill expand the cooperation in scientific and technological research strengthen the conduct of cooperative activities in areas of common interest and application of the results of such cooperation to their economic and social benefit.
- Cooperative activities may take the forms of reciprocal participation of Indian research and European research entities in research, technological development, and demonstration projects under each other programme.
EU-India Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation
- The EU-India Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation is the cornerstone of European Union’s research and innovation cooperation with India.
- India and European Union have strong research and innovation cooperation under the framework of said “Agreement,” and it has grown steadily over the years.
The main purpose is to encourage and facilitate cooperative research and development activities in science and technology fields of common interest- relying on 4 principles:
- Mutual Benefits
- Reciprocal Access to Cooperative Activities
- Exchange of Information between India and EU
- Protection of Property Rights
The cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean energy, circular economy, bio-economy, health, and ICT.
Additional areas, such as climate change, sustainable urban development, manufacturing, advanced materials, nanotechnologies and biotechnology, food processing, and ocean research may also be considered in future endeavours.
In the last 5 years, the level of co-investment on India-EU Research Technology Development Projects for addressing societal challenges such as affordable healthcare, water, energy, food & nutrition has been stepped up resulted in several technologies, patents development, their gainful utilization, joint research publications, sharing of research facility and, exchange of scientists and students from both sides.
