UK Innovation Showcase: Calling all R&D intensive businesses in India

Over the last five years, UK and India have together invested over £100 million in joint research programmes and this continues to grow. Our joint research covers: energy security; food and agriculture; and climate change, as well as looks at the enormous social and cultural changes that are taking place in India.

It’s an impressive portfolio of research but the name of the game these days is to answer the ‘Impact’ question. What difference has this research made? And, if not now, what difference will it make in the future? Indeed, the UK is committed to ensuring that publicly funded research delivers both social and economic impact.

Speaking of impact, the UK Science and Innovation Network – India is organising an Innovation showcase event as a part of the ‘Research and Innovation is GREAT’ week in India (11-15^th Nov 2013). We are bringing together leading entrepreneurs, investors, funders and researchers from the UK all under one roof.  The event is designed to enable R&D intensive businesses in India to hear experiences and network with the visiting UK delegation – creating opportunities for joint collaboration.

The half-day event to be held on 14^th November in New Delhi will begin with keynote speeches on UK’s and India’s Innovation ecosystem by Sir Mark Walport, Chief Scientific Advisor, UK and Mr Sam Pitroda, Advisor to Indian Prime Minister on Innovation.

Session I will focus on the theme ‘Innovation Ecosystem in the UK’. This session will focus on how business growth is catalysed by the UK research base and the wider innovation ecosystem including protection for IP, standards development, access to funding and world’s most open research environment. The speakers will present examples and case studies to illustrate how collaboration with the UK’s research base can kick-start business growth through access to new knowledge, people and infrastructure, and help give the UK its pulling power as the No. 1 destination in Europe for global investment.

Session II will focus on theme ‘Innovation opportunities in the UK – the clusters, hotspots and most cutting edge technologies’. The UK has technology products and services in virtually all of the hi-tech sectors India wants to grow – the difficulty is how to exploit available opportunities and work across two very different national systems.  This session will explore how UK SMEs and companies can develop meaningful partnerships with Indian companies and institutes to secure inward R&D investment and enable more Indian companies to take benefit of UK’s investment in innovation.

And lastly, session III will focus on ‘Successful case studies from the UK’. Facilitated by a moderator, these will concentrate on how the UK has supported the growth of early stage and growing businesses. Here we will be discussing links with mentors, the match making of capital with commercial ideas and the sharing of hands-on business insight into how to crack distinct target markets. This will be followed by networking lunch to give an opportunity for the participants to meet the visiting delegation.

If you are an Indian company looking to tap into world-class R&D capabilities, we can help you develop new and lasting partnerships with the UK at this event. If you would like a flavour of the event agenda and receive regular updates on the visiting UK delegation, follow our blog (you could even subscribe to a live feed)!

NOTE – Full registration for the showcase event is not currently open. If you are interested in attending the event, please email your name and company details here and we will email you when registration is live.