STORY CREDITS
Writer: Saumya Mishra
Photo: Mayur Bhatiya
The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) organised an India-Japan Innovation Symposium on ‘Advancing Research, Networking, and Industry Partnerships’ in its campus on March 11, 2024.
The symposium, supported by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Japan, was held with an aim to explore potential collaboration opportunities among representatives from Japanese Industries, universities, government bodies, Gujarat-based industry members, and IIT Gandhinagar in various sectors.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from over 60 representatives from industries, universities, and government organisations who expressed their interest in collaborating with IITGN in different ways. Throughout the day, attendees engaged in sessions led by faculty members of IITGN and representatives from Japanese companies and universities.
The symposium kicked off with an address by Prof Amit Prashant, Dean R&D, IITGN, who elaborated on the vision of IITGN. “India-Japan relationship is thriving and we need to build broader relationships as opposed to one-to-one relationships,” he said.
Furthermore, Mr Yoshiro Kaku, Chief Representative of NEDO, India, addressed the gathering and highlighted the major activities undertaken by NEDO India which include research and development collaboration, energy and environment, and economic security. “We are interested in India because the nation is growing rapidly in the field of science and technology,” he stated.
Prof Pratik Mutha, Dean, Institutional Advancement focused on the ways in which Japanese institutions can engage with IITGN.
He said that the institute is open to collaborations in the form of R&D consultancy projects or sponsoring a joint masters programme. He added that the industries can set up their R&D offices at the IIT Gandhinagar Research Park and benefit from the state-of-the-art research facilities at IITGN and the expertise of the faculty.
During the symposium, several other IITGN faculty members also shared their insights on IITGN’s research capabilities in different domains. The programme also saw presentations by representatives from Japanese organisations and universities including Tohoku University, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) India, Invest India, Shimane University, Japan External Trade Organization Delhi, Keio University, and University of Tokyo.
Various Japanese industries including Air Water India Pvt Ltd, Horiba India Pvt Ltd, Kowa India Pvt Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Nitto Denko India Pvt Ltd, and Yokogawa Technologies Solution India Pvt Ltd also took part in the event.
The attendees had the opportunity to witness IITGN’s cutting-edge research capabilities during the laboratory visits. Furthermore, product demo stalls were set up by startups supported at IITGN which showcased the innovations of these startups. The participants also visited IIT Gandhinagar Research Park and discussed collaboration opportunities.