Science can't wait
It was evident at the National Technology Day celebrations (May 11) that science administrators and policy makers in this country have put all fears generated by the great recession behind. Science and innovation can’t wait for the global economy to bounce back, experts at an international conclave on research and development in New Delhi felt. The meet saw several countries pledging continuous ongoing scientific cooperation to India despite the global meltdown.
Sweden and Finland, alongside many other countries, participated in India’s first global Industrial R&D conclave looking at strategies to drive growth in times of the global economic crisis. Petri Peltonen, Director General of Finland’s innovation department in the ministry of employment was of the view that during the ongoing economic turmoil, investments in R&D and innovation are crucial. Finland will renew its innovation policy in technical as well as non-technical domains. The policy would have a focus on the users and market. Anders Sjoberg, Charges d’ Affaires of the embassy of Sweden in India said in order to regenerate growth, Sweden has to be associated with big nations like India. Several Swedish MNCs have established their R&D hubs in India, and such intensive collaborations expose India to advanced technologies, he said.
India’s bilateral arrangements and intellectual property safeguards have further strengthened the innovation environment in the country. According to Y. P. Kumar, head of international cooperation in India’s Department of Science and Technology, development in science and technology has reached new dimensions due to online information availability.
The conclave assumed importance in the backdrop of the economic meltdown, which has created alarming conditions for R&D- and innovation-led businesses. The risk capital has shrunk and has placed R&D investments at lower priority. Governments across the globe are trying to boost the economy and industrial growth through strategic policy changes by creating a more favourable R&D ecosystem.
Apart from a slew of articles, I read P. Balaram's analysis in Current Science. Since I did not get any response to my earlier blog addressing the issue, I have been left wondering if science in India is recession-proof.
