01 Nov 2017
Technology, driven by innovation, is key to achieving inclusive growth and development. Recognizing this fact, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been holding the prestigious CII Technology Summit as an annual flagship event for the past 22 years in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The summit is held to facilitate technology transfer, joint ventures, joint research and development, joint projects and market access between India and the world. Over the years, the summit has emerged as the largest technology event in the country with widespread participation from the Government, Industry and Academia.
Background
The first ever Technology Summit was held in 1995. To facilitate global technology collaboration, CII introduced Israel as the first partner country in the 4th edition of the summit in 1998. The partner country for each summit is decided in consultation with DST with the objective of strengthening bilateral science and technology cooperation and high technology trade between two countries. Several joint initiatives are also announced during the summit by the Governments of the respective countries.
Over the years, CII has partnered with many countries including Germany, France, Russia, Canada, Thailand, South Korea, etc. UK was the partner country for 2016 and the Summit was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and HE Theresa May, Hon’ble Prime Minister of United Kingdom. Over the years, the intensity of partnership with the partner countries has gone up, moving in many new directions.
Outcomes
The CII Technology Summit has immensely benefitted Indian industry and organizations as well as the partner countries in forging collaborations with global partners. It has also triggered private sector investments in R & D and technology through effective policy making. The summits have resulted in a large number of technology tie-ups between Indian industry and research institutions with organizations from Israel, Germany, France, Taiwan, ASEAN, Russia, Canada, and Belarus, among others. Previous summits led to the formation of a number of specialised organizations such as the India-Canada Nano-biotechnology Centre, India-Israel Industrial R&D Programme Fund, India-Canada Industrial R&D Programme Fund, and India-ASEAN Science & Technology Development Fund for facilitating and stimulating technology development across the partner countries.
A major outcome of the Technology Summits was the formation of the Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA), promoted jointly by CII and DST to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem through supporting and enabling technology and innovation driven enterprises.
Each year, the Summit identifies certain priority sectors as focus sectors for which bilateral agreements and key announcements are made. Over the years, the Summits have focussed on diverse sectors such as manufacturing, life sciences, clean and renewable energy, information technology, healthcare, smart cities, higher education, agriculture and food processing, among others.
India-Canada Technology Platform 2017
This year, CII is hosting the 23rd edition of the Technology Summit and is happy to have Canada as its partner country. India and Canada have longstanding bilateral relations marked by common traditions of democracy, pluralism and rule of law. The Summit will provide a high profile and wide ranging platform to enterprises, institutions and government agencies from India and Canada for forging knowledge-business partnerships to boost investment and trade.
Focus Sectors
Artificial Intelligence (Defence & Aerospace): Canada and India have become increasingly integrated in the global supply chain for aerospace and components and aircraft. Precision manufacturing based on advanced robotics and automation is revolutionizing traditional manufacturing facilities in this sector. Emphasis will also be laid upon building a culture committed to delivering breakthrough innovation, which will have the potential to unlock new productivity and growth across the sector.
Advanced Manufacturing 4.0 (Smart Machines): A major focus this year is Advanced Manufacturing 4.0, and how smart machines and smart factories are revolutionizing traditional manufacturing facilities using advanced robotics and automation. How India and Canada can work more closely together to support the Make in India initiative to increase India’s ability to indigenously design, develop and manufacture world-leading products is also a major focus area in this sector.
Intelligent Transport Systems (Smart Transport): Leveraging emerging technologies in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), transport, logistics and infrastructure for promoting the growth of India’s large and diverse transport sector is also one of the focus areas in this year’s Summit.
Life Sciences (Smart Care): With a view to building innovative solutions for the Indian healthcare sector and strengthening existing collaborations with Canada, for e.g., in the fields of telemedicine, rural healthcare and joint medical research, this year’s focus sector on Smart Care seeks to provide best healthcare to all.
Start-ups & Accelerators (Smart Ideas): The focus is on how the application of disruptive and advanced technologies and their development are rapidly changing the dynamics of the new business world. Canadian technology combined with Indian innovation provides great opportunities for both the countries to lead the world in technology development.
Clean Technology (Clean Energy): Clean technology and smart energy is another priority area, where India is actively looking for innovative technologies for treating wastewater, reducing air pollution, developing clean energy and improving energy efficiency.
Education & Skill Development (Smart People): This emphasizes the need for education and skill development and aims to promote research and cooperation between universities.
Women in Science & Entrepreneurship (Smart Women): The Summit will focus on a very important issue this year, that is, how innovative women are changing the industrial landscape and also on how innovation can benefit women and girls.
The Summit will see extensive participation from both Governments, industry, academia along with R&D Institutes and laboratories, business incubators, training and consulting firms, financial institutions, venture capitalists as well as students, faculty and head of academic institutions. A ministerial-level delegation from Canada will be attending the Summit.
The India-Canada Tech Summit will be held in New Delhi during 14-15 November, 2017. The Summit is expected to trigger bilateral investments in the knowledge economy through the facilitation of technology, R & D, education, entrepreneurship, innovation, design and IPR. It is also expected to promote collaborative research, human resource exchange, technology transfer, joint ventures and mutual capacity building between the partner countries.