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Indo-Canadian
pact
on R&D
in Science
and Technology
Canada's International
Trade Minister Jim Peterson
and India's Minister of State
for Science and Technology and
Ocean Development, Kapil Sibal
have recently signed a joint
science and technology (S&T)
agreement that will enhance
and strengthen collaborative
research and development activities
between the two countries.
“This agreement will boost
Canada's competitiveness through
knowledge and technology transfer
to address the challenges and
opportunities created by the
rise of emerging markets such
as India,” said Peterson.
“Down the road, this could
mean exchange of scientists
and other experts, joint science
and technology projects, and
many other benefits.”
“Under the new agreement,
Canadian and Indian researchers,
universities and businesses
will work more closely to discover
new ideas and products,”
said Industry Minister David
L. Emerson. “It will build
on our mutual strengths and
shared priorities in science
and technology.”
As noted in the government's
Economic and Fiscal Update,
released recently, a diverse
and technologically advanced
economy requires strong and
steady investment in research
and development to convert knowledge
into jobs, and to encourage
partnerships between government,
the private sector and academia.
This agreement will support
the development of S&T partnerships
and collaborative research among
business, academic and government
researchers and innovators in
various sectors, including biotechnology,
nanotechnology, renewable energy
and earth sciences, and information
communications technology. It
will also facilitate joint research
and development activities that
will help Canadian companies
to commercialize their innovations
by providing access to international
technologies and by promoting
Canada as a destination for
foreign technology-based investments.
The S&T agreement aligns
with CAN-Trade, launched earlier
this week, which is a key part
of the government's action plan
for securing our nation's future
prosperity.
Canada recently announced $6.75
million over five years to promote
S&T collaboration with India
under the new Canada-India R&D
and Innovation Program. India
also declared that it will contribute
equally to this program.
Text of the Joint Statement
issued by Peterson and Sibal
Canada and India agreed to specific
areas of S&T collaboration
in research fields of mutual
interest and benefit, initially
focusing on nanoscience and
nanomedicine, information and
communications technology, biotechnology,
health research and medical
devices, sustainable and alternate
energy and environmental technologies,
earth sciences and disaster
management.
It was agreed that each country
would designate an expert coordinator
to advance collaborative activity
in each of these five themes.
Canada and India agreed to enter
into negotiations to launch
the Canada-India R&D and
Innovation Program. This will
be a bilateral program to jointly
fund projects in the industrial
and academic sectors that have
a strong potential for commercialization.
Both countries will come to
an agreement in early 2006 on
an implementation plan to foster
and identify joint research
activity that will be undertaken
between the respective research
communities.
In order to explore new partnership
opportunities, Canada sent a
significant nanotechnology delegation
to the 2005 Technology Summit
in New Delhi. Senior members
of Minister Sibal's delegation
visited nanotechnology research
facilities in Canada during
this visit. Canada and India
agreed to establish a joint
Nanotechnology Working Group
and undertake new initiatives,
including scientific exchanges,
collaborative networks and commercially
focused missions.
Another area of immediate focus
will be information and communications
technology, given its strength
and importance to both the Canadian
and Indian economies. A vivid
example of tangible cooperation
resulting from the Technology
Summit is the memorandum of
understanding signed by ITAC
(Information Technology Association
of Canada) and India's NASSCOM
(National Association of Software
and Service Companies).
Ministers Peterson and Sibal
will appoint a joint committee
to oversee the implementation
of the bilateral S&T agreement.
The joint committee will have
its first meeting in India in
early 2006 to develop the bilateral
S&T work plan and initial
implementing arrangements.
Ministers Peterson and Sibal
demonstrated their personal
commitment to achieving progress
under the Canada-India S&T
Agreement. The two ministers
will oversee the work of the
joint committee and receive
its annual reports. |
