📋 Tender Overview
The 13th EU-India Steering Committee for Science and Technology met on February 12th. India is an important strategic partner for the EU with growing economic and geopolitical importance. In preparation for the meeting of heads of state and government in May 2021 both sides are examining how closer cooperation in research and innovation can advance the strategic agenda.The increasing political and economic importance of India is also accompanied by more opportunities in the field of research and innovation which can range from green growth to digitization and resilient health systems. India emphasized that in order to cope with all of its socio-economic and demographic challenges it was important that the country became more independent and at the same time continued international cooperation. This is the only way to meet the expectations of science technology and innovation in the country which are reflected in the draft Science Technology and Innovation STI Policy .Both sides emphasized the good cooperation within the framework of Horizon 2020 42 joint projects with a total funding amount of 157 million euros 113 million euros from H2020 and 44 million euros from the Indian government good performance within the framework of the European Research Council 45 grantees under Horizon 2020 and first place among all non-European countries within the framework of the Marie Sklodowska- Curie Actions with 1729 PhD Post-Docs . Most of the collaborations took place within the framework of flagship calls on the topics of water health new generation of flu vaccines and smart grids . Taking into account the Joint Declaration and the EU-India Strategic PartnershipA Roadmap to 2025 which was adopted at the EU-India summit in July 2020 both sides discussed possible cooperation in the fields of ICT in particular cyber- physical systems ICPS including artificial intelligence and robotics circular economy and resource efficiency waste- to-Energy plastics etc. electric mobility sustainable agro-food processing but also in accelerating the transition to clean energy.They also discussed strengthening cooperation in the health sector beyond the COVID-19 pandemic through global forums. Future cooperation under Horizon Europe was also discussed.India presented its draft science technology and innovation policy which contains many of the goals and values embedded in Horizon Europe and the new Communication on the European Research Area. The EU offered expert dialogues and the exchange of best practices in areas of mutual interest in order to achieve better equality in research and innovation in particular in the areas of open access gender integrity and ethics in research.In preparation for the EU-India meeting of heads of state and government in May 2021 both sides expressed their willingness to examine how enhanced cooperation in research and innovation could help move the strategic agenda forward.
