Indo-German Dialogue: Industry Academia Cooperation

Innovation and Incubation as Key Factors in Industry and Academia Cooperation: Universities as Breeding Grounds for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

A close cooperation between industry, universities and research organisations plays a crucial role in building the innovative potential of any country. While research needs to be application-oriented in order to be accessible and useful for society, it is important that academia gets significant inputs for this research from the industry. An innovative, creative and entrepreneurial mind-set that the exposure to industry provides can also go a long way in shaping careers.

A close relationship with industry has been the hallmark of the German research and education landscape. This is exemplified by institutions such as the Fraunhofer Society, technical universities and universities of applied sciences. Cooperation with industry is a norm rather than an exception even for the traditional research universities. And the financial support offered through initiatives such as the ‘Leading Edge Cluster Competition’ (Spitzencluster-Wettbewerb) and the ‘Innovative University’ (Innovative Hochschule) is testament to the importance the German government attaches to industry academia cooperation.

In India, however the cooperation between industry and academia is not as prevalent as in Germany. Industry specific research typically takes place within R&D centres established by large companies. Industry cooperating with academic set ups for this purpose is however a rare phenomenon. Research carried out by universities is largely oriented towards publishing papers while applied research is not high on priority. Academic curricula too are often not designed keeping in mind the requirements of the job market.

However, this scenario is slowly changing. Of late many institutions in India, especially those with a technical focus such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), have started taking targeted measures to support the innovative and creative potential of their students and researchers. Research parks and incubation centres have been established on their campuses and provide necessary infrastructure, particularly for the development of start-ups. They offer a platform for entrepreneurial ventures and give companies a chance to develop projects together with the researchers at the institutions. However, there are only very few such success stories to showcase. The Indian Government recognises the need for a closer cooperation between the industry and the academia. Further initiatives by the Government of India can play a decisive role in realising the potential of the Indian academia and to replicate successful models of industry academia cooperation.

With this edition of the Indo-German Dialogue ‘Innovation and Incubation as Key Factors in Industry and Academia Cooperation: Universities as a Breeding Ground for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New Delhi aims to address multifaceted aspects of the academia and industry relationship and discuss ways to bridge the existing gaps. Experts from universities, research institutions and industry in India and Germany will discuss how a sustainable and fruitful cooperation can be achieved, how innovation and entrepreneurship can be integrated in the profile of universities and how governments can support such ideas.

Programme

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