EU research and innovation commissioner extends invitation to Indian science minister during visit
India has been invited to consider associating to the EU’s research and innovation programme.
Association enables countries outside the EU to win funding from the programme and lead collaborative projects, usually in exchange for a budget contribution.
Previously reserved for countries in the European neighbourhood, the option has been opened up under the current programme. Canada and New Zealand have already associated, and South Korea has effectively joined pending formal sign-off.
Offer to India
Posting on social media on 27 February, the EU R&I commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva said: “In the modern world, being competitive means investing in R&I. India has talent and a long tradition, so I invited science minister Jitendra Singh to consider associating India to Horizon Europe.”
She added that the EU and India could “collaborate successfully in…important areas” including climate change, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, security, space and oceans. “A very open and fruitful meeting” took place with Ajay Kumar Sood, the principal scientific adviser to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, at which such collaboration was discussed, she said.
Zaharieva added that the EU is “a reliable partner, and we should connect our startups” in areas including space and health technologies. Singh noted in his own post about his meeting with Zaharieva that the primary topic of conversation was “startup and innovation collaborations”.
The EU R&I commissioner is visiting India as part of a high-level delegation that includes the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The visit is intended to deepen economic ties between the EU and India, and has been given greater urgency by increased trade tensions between the bloc and the United States.
It follows the release of an analysis which found a “positive trend” for EU-India science and technology collaboration.
