Canada and India announce joint science and technology initiatives

Vancouver, BC – Ten new Canada-India science and technology joint initiatives worth $17 million have been announced by the Canadian and Indian governments.

Eight of the initiatives are joint research and development projects, and two are partnership-development activities. The Canadian portion of both projects and partnerships is funded through the International Science and Technology Partnerships Program and is delivered by International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada), an arm’s-length organization.

“These projects form the basis of the networking opportunities that lead to strong research linkages with high potential for commercial success,” said Henri Rothschild, president and Chief Executive Officer of ISTPCanada.

The joint activities will lead to an increase of commercially viable research and development initiatives, and will assist in the organization of scientific seminars, conferences and workshops.

Canada and India S&T relations have made good progress at the federal, provincial, academic and private-sector levels since the signing of an overarching agreement on science and technology cooperation in November 2005. In addition to India, Canada has S&T agreements with five other countries and the European Union.

The S&T agreement with India is now one of the most active partnerships between the two countries. Areas of cooperation under the agreement include biotechnology, health research, medical devices, nanoscience and nanomedicine, sustainable and alternate energy and environmental technologies, information and communications technology, and earth sciences and disaster management. In March this year, aerospace, biopharmaceuticals, photonics and synchrotron science were added to the list.

Joint research projects:

1 – Project: Use of acoustics to monitor the bottom of above-ground storage tanks. Partners: Tisec, Montreal; Material Science & Technology Division, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Jamshedpur; Samro International, New Delhi

2 – Project: The use of biomimetic material to integrate and repair the human cornea. Partners: Evasight Instrument, Ottawa; University of Ottawa Eye Institute; Reddy Campus, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad; Polymer Tech International, India

3 – Project: The use of transponders to track the flow of vehicles and use the information to manage traffic flows and reduce fuel consumption. Partners: Ipico, Burlington; McMaster University, Hamilton; Indian Institute of Technology Delhi; Strategic Consultants, New Delhi

4 – Project: The creation of a common modelling and simulation tool to test multiple aircraft and air-related equipment for a new generation of regional aircraft. Partners: CAE, Saint-Laurent, QC, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore; Macmet Technologies, Bangalore

5 – Project: The design of an interoperable geoportal product that permits the transfer of spatial data infrastructure across different computer platforms and portal products Partners: CubeWerx, Gatineau, QC; Infotech Enterprises, Hyderabad, India

6 – Project: The development of a simple diagnostic tool for use on the farm or feedlot to test dairy and cattle for diseases such as bovine respiratory disease and mastitis. Partners: Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon; Safeguard Biosystems, Toronto; BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune; Vetnex Livestock and Canine Business, RFCL, New Delhi

7 – Project: The use of biofuels in aircraft gas turbine engines made from Canadian and Indian feedstocks. Partners: Pratt & Whitney Canada, Longueuil, QC; McGill University, Montreal; Universit Laval, Quebec City; Ryerson University, Toronto; National Research Council, Ottawa; Infotech Enterprises, Hyderabad

8 – Project: The development of technology that permits broadband internet access on existing power line technology in India. Partners: Corinex Communications, Vancouver; Maple Leaf India, New Delhi; Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad.