Punjab Innovation & Technology Pre-Summit Meeting

January 30, 2020

Pre-Summit meeting with academic & research institutions on 10.09.2019

The government of Punjab has launched ‘Mission Innovate Punjab’ and is drawing up an ambitious roadmap for developing a robust ecosystem for research & innovation to enhance competitiveness, boost economic growth and create employment.Department of Science & Environment has accordingly initiated steps to consolidate the facilitating environment through active involvement and networking of institutions having state-of-the-art research & innovation infrastructure.

In this regard, the government has already set up a Council for Punjab Research & Innovation under the aegis of DSTE, GoP.To give a push to the programs and mobilize Research institutions in the state, the Department is organizing an Innovation Summit2019on 05.11.2019in association with Punjab Chamber of Commerce & Industry with an objective to promote Punjab as the Global destination for Innovations & Research.

As a pre-cursor to the Innovation Summit, a pre-summit meeting was held with heads of academic and research institutions to work out the modalities of the summit on 10.09.2019 at Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Sh. Rakesh Verma,IAS Principal Secretary, Science Technology & Environment.

Various issues discussed in the meeting for the successful organization of Innovation Summit 2019included partnering organizations, dignitaries to be invited for inaugural program, details of technical sessions,funding possibilities, felicitation of institutions/start-ups, etc. details of which are as under:

1.Innovation and Academia: Boosting Research & its commercialization-The first session would reflect on the innovation-driven research undertaken by key institutions and its profound possibilities for applications in various Industrial sectors including commercialization. The session will also explore work on creating Local to Global, Global to Local network of researchers and Innovators.

2.Inaugural Session: Leveraging Punjab as Land of Opportunities for Innovations-The session would include launch of Mission Innovate Punjab by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab amid high profile dignitaries.

The National & International elite speakers from Government, Academia, Industry, Innovation and Research Organizations would highlight the available opportunities and strengths for positioning Punjab as an emerging destination for research & innovation.

Following documents would be released by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Punjab :

(i).Roadmap for mission Innovate Punjab to promote Research & Innovation in the State

(ii).Draft SAPCC for consultation in Summit

(iii).Partnership of DSTE, GoPwith R&I Institutions (signing of MoUs).

3.Cross Cultural Innovations: Exploring Global opportunities for collaboration and Convergence-The theme of this session would be International collaborations in the critical fields like aerospace, robotics, critical infrastructure and disruptive technologies and utilization of Punjab research capabilities for fulfilling its innovative needs.

4.Disruptive Technologies: New Paradigm of Development-The session would bring together thinkers and leaders from Industry, MSMEs to present the success stories on trans-formative technologies viz industry 4.0, machine to machine learning, artificial intelligence, internet of things which has helped them in transformation. The Chief Innovation Officers, Technology Heads/Leaders from industry will share how to leverage technology to transform, MSME and the AGRI sector of the state as well as advocating technologies in league with Make in Punjab concept, innovative products and promotion of knowledge-based technology-driven entrepreneurs.

5.Young Innovators & Start-ups-This session would provide platform for young innovators and technocrats to interact with budding start-ups and young researchers to ignite their interest for shaping ideas into innovations for future careers.

6.Social Innovations and Enterprises-Transforming Public Delivery System-This session will focus on emerging technologies which can build a robust delivery mechanism for governments in the field of Social Health, Education, Water Management, Clean technologies, Skill, Digital Payments, Securities etc.

7.Funding Opportunities-The financial support is a critical factor for stimulating the innovation eco-system i.e. converting the idea into products/process, prototype up-scaling, validation and market commercialization. This session would bring in the experts from funding organization (public & private), venture capitalists to highlight the funding schemes/programs available for promoting technology development and commercialization.

8.Innovation Awards-This session will felicitateResearch Institutions/Industry/Start-ups for outstanding contributions towards innovation and growth of State.The meeting was attended by 17 institutions from the region such as IIT Ropar, Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Mohali; Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda;I.K. GujralPTU, Kapurthala; Punjabi University, Patiala; DAV University, Jalandhar; LPU, NIT, Jalandhar; PGIMER, Chandigarh; Central University, Bathinda; Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi; IMTECH, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh;GNDU, Amritsar, etc