PANAJI
The 7th edition of the European Union (EU)-India Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Cooperation Days got underway on Wednesday at the National Institute of Oceanography, with Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India announcing that Goa would be home to the National Institute of Bioeconomy.
Delivering the keynote address on the occasion, Vijayraghavan said that time was an extraordinary one for science and that the onus was on scientists to communicate what they do better as opposed to the “dry, unappealing manner” in which it is currently being done.
He spoke on how the country invested a lot in higher education and was reflected in the fact that India stood shoulder to shoulder with countries like France and Germany in science and technology, while also remaining one of the poorest countries in the world.
Referring to Goa, Vijayraghavan said that the State would be home to the National Institute of Bioeconomy, an institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences that would serve as a school for marine biology.
“This will be something that will be enormously valuable for the people of Goa, because, it will train young students here in basic and high-end marine biology so that sustainable conservation and development of marine resources is undertaken,” he said.
“Goa is a state which has a great maritime tradition. We should have Goans leading not only in ships all over the world but in science and technology in ships all over the world. Our goal is the best, young goans should be world leaders in biology and biotechnology,” he said, adding that the institute would be a national enterprise for which there will be many laboratories from Andamans to Lakshadweep across peninsular India and Goa.
He said that while a location, etc, is yet to be chosen, the government expected an administrative approval over the next few months.
Earlier the Ambassador of the EU to India Kozlowski offered his comments to the cooperation days.
The conference is being held with the aim of supporting new research and business networks on issues of priority for both regions and to promote funding opportunities offered by the India “ EU bilateral cooperation programmes and by the industry.
The EU India STI Days is organised in India and Europe by the Indigo Policy and Inno Indigo projects with support from the European Commission.
The days will focus on “blue growth”, Bio-based innovation, Rural Renaissance and sustainable food security.
