EU, India identify five green-tech areas for research collaboration

The European Union and the Department of Biotechnology, India, have identified five areas for collaboration between Indian researchers and innovators and their European counterparts under the EU’s ‘Horizon 2020’ programme to promote environment-friendly technology and systems and spur recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities.

“With an aim to strengthen the research and innovation collaboration between India and Europe, DBT will fund successful Indian participants in five calls for collaborative projects with European entities. This cooperation would also further strengthen India’s research capacity, and will contribute to its national missions on sustainable habitat, green India, sustainable agriculture under National Action Plan on Climate Change and the EU-India Partnership on Climate Change and Energy,” according to a statement from the office of the Delegation of EU to India and Bhutan on Friday.

Research collaboration

This research collaboration is a follow-up to the priorities identified at the EU-India Summit held on 15 July 2020 to boost cooperation in moving towards carbon-neutral economies.

“Joining forces on research will further strengthen our partnership and help address many of the global challenges that the EU and India are facing. We see immense potential in bringing together our scientific communities to foster a dynamic innovation ecosystem,” said Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India.

The areas for research identified by the two sides include creating innovative land-based and offshore renewable energy technologies and their integration into the energy system; closing the industrial carbon cycle to combat climate change by looking for sustainable alternatives to fossil resources; testing and demonstrating systemic innovations in support of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy; restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services and innovative, and building systemic zero-pollution solutions to protect health, environment and natural resources from persistent and mobile chemicals.

Deadline

The deadline for submissions is January 26, 2021, with selected projects expected to start in autumn 2021.

“These five calls are part of the last and largest call launched by the European Union under its research and innovation programme ‘Horizon 2020’, the European Green Deal Call - with a €1- billion budget. While a number of calls will respond to the climate crisis and protecting unique ecosystems and biodiversity, it also aims to spur recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities. The programme has a strong international dimension,” the statement said.