London: The UK must harness scientific and academic relationships with India as it becomes an increasingly powerful player in the science and technology space, Britain’s minister for science, research and innovation has said.
During a session on ‘Unlocking UK-India Collaboration for a New Era of Innovation’ at India Global Forum’s Future Frontiers Forum at the Science Museum in London on Thursday, Lord Patrick Vallance called for greater mobility of high-skilled professionals through the Global Talent Visa and the need to tap into complementary skills across all sectors.
The minister revealed the UK government’s much-anticipated Industrial Strategy would be released in a few weeks, forming the blueprint for focus areas for such a partnership with India.
“There is already a strong relationship between India and the UK, and I think it’s growing,” said Vallance.
“But government-to-government relationships on science aren’t actually what drives everything. It has to be a scientist and a scientist as well. There are important academic links. I’d like to see more of that as India becomes an increasingly powerful player in the science and tech space,” he said.
The forum was addressed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal earlier on the sector-wide benefits of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) struck between the two countries, as it “adds value to science and technology and innovation”.
“A Free Trade Agreement demonstrates to the world that the two countries are friends, allies, and plan to work together closely; they trust each other,” said Goyal.
Vallance concurred and highlighted: “India has its focus areas, we have ours, now we need to create opportunities across those sectors.” Lord Ara Darzi, the British surgeon behind a seminal review of the National Health Service (NHS) and much-needed areas of reform, hailed India’s “transformative health solutions” as the “intellectual and production power” the UK must collaborate with.
The forum also included a ‘Pitchers and Punters’ curated showcase of Indian start-ups pitching to a jury of international investors.
Among the standout companies were Zypp Electric, Lina Energy, Steamology Motion Ltd and Electric Miles – with Zypp Electric winning this year’s Clean Tech Award presented by British renewable energy group Octopus Energy.
