Indian and Australian leaders from government, industry and research came together to advance innovation and commercialisation at an event hosted by The University of Western Australia earlier this month.
The Australia-India Partnerships in Innovation and Commercialisation Workshop on Wednesday 9 September was held as part of Global Engagement Month, building on the Memorandum of Understanding UWA signed with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India.
Professor Brajesh Singh FAA hosted the workshop, with UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma and Her Excellency Ms Kajari Biswas, Consul General of India, opening proceedings.
“It was a privilege to bring together such a broad range of leaders from government, industry and research to translate the momentum of the Australia-India partnership into practical, actionable outcomes,” Professor Singh said.
Professor Chakma said Western Australia was a global powerhouse with the capability to enrich Australia-India economic prosperity.
Dr Vishal Choudhary, International Lead at India's Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, spoke on the UWA-OPSA partnership, while Dr Kelitha Cherian, from the UWA Global Engagement team in India, outlined the opportunities presented by India's eight Science and Technology (S&T) Clusters, established under OPSA.
Bringing together leading universities, research institutions, industry, start-ups and government partners, India’s eight S&T Clusters – Bengaluru Science & Technology Cluster (BeST), Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster (BCKIC), Delhi Research, Implementation & Innovation Cluster (DRIIV), Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Jodhpur City Knowledge & Innovation Cluster (JCKIC), Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC), Northern Region S&T Cluster (PI-RAHI) and Vizag Cluster (AMTZ) – advance science, technology and innovation to address regional and national priorities.
The clusters – ranging from AI, smart cities and advanced manufacturing to digital health innovation, Agritech, climate resilience, renewable energy, blue economy and STEM – offer UWA a strategic platform to deepen research partnerships, bilateral literacy, advance technology deployment and commercialisation and foster innovation-led industry-academia engagements across India.
Representatives from each cluster participated in the workshop, bringing diverse perspectives and identifying pathways for collaboration.
Dr Dhananjay Tiwary, Managing Director of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), also addressed the workshop and Professor Sharath Sriram, Chief Scientist of Western Australia, closed proceedings with a vote of thanks.
Participants worked across four thematic groups, covering advanced agriculture, blue ocean, medical technology and trade, to identify practical opportunities for co-creation, co-production and co-commercialisation between the two countries.
A full report on the outcomes is now being prepared. Through this collaboration, UWA continues to strengthen its role in advancing the Australia-India partnership.