LONDON, Feb 7: The European Union and India have launched talks on New Delhi’s possible association with the EU’s 93.5-million-euro flagship programme designed to foster cross-border research and innovation.
In a statement, the European Commission, the 27-member bloc’s main executive body, said that the “exploratory discussions” were opened on Friday for India’s association with ‘Horizon Europe’, a key EU funding programme for research and innovation.
If India becomes associated, Indian researchers and institutions would be able to receive funding directly from Horizon Europe and lead projects, with India making a financial contribution to the programme, it said.
The initiative follows the recent 16th EU-India Summit held in New Delhi, where both parties sealed a landmark free trade agreement– billed as the “mother of all deals”.
During the summit, they also reiterated their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation on trade, security, science, innovation, and mobility.
“The association will support structured, long-term collaboration between European and Indian research and innovation actors, facilitate joint projects under Horizon Europe, and strengthen cooperation on shared scientific and technological priorities,” the statement said.
“Science works best when borders do not get in the way of ideas. Exploring India’s association with Horizon Europe is about connecting talent, ambition and trust, and building solutions together at global scale,” it quoted Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, as saying.
According to the statement, EU-India cooperation on research and innovation is anchored by the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, initially signed in 2001 and extended until 2030 in the summit last month, highlighting the commitment to mutual advancement in scientific fields.
Currently, Horizon Europe maintains associations with 22 non-EU countries, establishing itself as the closest form of international cooperation in science and technology between the EU and countries beyond its borders. (PTI)
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