The Rector in India to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation

PoliTO, represented by Rector Stefano Corgnati, took part in an Italian institutional mission to India on April 10 and 11 to strengthen cooperation in the economic, industrial, scientific and technological sectors between the two countries.

The main event was the “Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum” - co-chaired by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Internationa Cooperation Antonio Tajani and Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini - which was held in New Dehli and represented an important opportunity for dialogue between Italian and Indian institutions, companies, universities and research centers. The main topics of the Forum were energy transition and green economy, as of today at the core of global development strategies, as well as collaboration with India, a country undergoing rapid transformation on energy and environment issues, a field full of strategic opportunities for the Italian business system.

On Thursday, April 10, Rector Corgnati, also serving as CRUI's delegate for technology transfer, took part in two events dedicated to innovation. He participated in the meeting “Science for Innovation: Sharing Experiences to Advance Applied Technology and Innovation”, organized with the aim of fostering an open dialogue on the transfer of basic and pre-competitive research to economic and business realities. Through discussions on strategic visions, prevailing actions and current directions, the participants explored more effective ways to make scientific innovation an engine of industrial and business development. In this context, the collaboration between Italy and India represents an extraordinary opportunity to enhance the excellence of their respective research and development institutions, stimulate the exchange of talents and promote the creation of an innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem. The meeting thus laid the foundation for joint projects and programs in areas of common interest.

In addition, the Rector was invited to a round table on start-ups and innovation, alongside representatives from emerging companies, accelerators, investors, and private equity funds from the two countries, with the aim of facilitating dialogue on key collaboration opportunities. It was an important chance to meet with institutions and leading Indian business associations, to identify policies, goals, and projects in areas of mutual interest, such as industry 4.0, energy and green transition, infrastructure and transportation, and cutting-edge technologies.

The Italy-India forum officially opened on Friday, April 11, with Ministers Tajani and Bernini attending, alongside representatives of the Indian government: Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Minister of Industry and Trade Piyush Goyal. In addition, the Rector participated in the meeting “Italy-India Science, Technology and Education Dialogue: Fostering Innovation through Collaboration” as a speaker on the panel “Advancing Space, Aerospace and Astrophysics Research with a focus on Gravitational Wave Detection as the Frontier of Future Discovery” about the strategic field of aerospace sciences. A topic of fundamental importance in the development of both Italy and India, whose results drive technological innovation with broad applications in medicine, telecommunications, resource management, environmental monitoring and sustainability.

“Politecnico di Torino, as well as other universities with a technological vocation, can play a strategic role in frontier research and, in particular, in the study of the effects of gravitational waves, by making available its expertise in the design, testing and development of enabling technologies,” stated Rector Corgnati at the panel. ”During the session, PoliTO presented its Stellar laboratory, part of the new IDEAS interdepartmental center, which was created with the aim of supporting research in the space sector.”