Sweden focused on science & technology in India

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New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Sweden aims to strengthen its ties with India in the area of science and technology as the two countries are celebrating the Nobel Memorial Week in the memory of the great inventor Alfred Nobel.

"I strongly believe that technology and knowledge translate to increased influence. During the Nobel Week this year, we have planned SHE STEM to address underrepresentation of women in technology and to empower girls and women," Klas Molin, Sweden's Ambassador to India, said in a statement.

Now in its 13th year, the Nobel Memorial Week is an annual event organised by the Embassy of Sweden in India in cooperation with the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai and leading Swedish businesses in India. The week was instituted in the memory of inventor-philosopher Alfred Nobel and celebrates innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

The two countries have organised several events online for the upcoming week. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all the events will take place entirely online.

The programme for 2020 includes an online quiz for college students with Rs.1 lac for the first prize winner. There are prizes for other winners and participants too. The quiz is live on www.swedeninindia.com and since students are away from their colleges and universities, it has changed its three-member teams rule to individual participation. The grand finale will be held on December 9.

There will be a series of Nobel Lectures this year called 'SHE STEM! Women leading the way' followed by panel discussions with women scientists and entrepreneurs from Sweden and India. A number of events are planned under 'Sweden India Health Talks', including the celebration of the India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre and announcement of the winners of the Health Innovation Challenge, panel discussions on 'Transformation of a Start Up to a Successful Enterprise', Infection Control and Oncology.

The India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre launched last year, is a collaboration between AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur and Business Sweden to develop a cross country ecosystem of open innovation that start-ups and the healthcare stakeholders can use to collaborate and address current and future challenges in the healthcare sector.

A virtual interaction between Swedish Trade Minister Anna Hallberg and over 200 Swedish companies in India is also planned. The Minister would give her outlook on global trade and investment scenario, and more specifically trends for Sweden and Swedish industry in the ongoing pandemic.

A few virtual workshops and B2B meetings will be held with Swedish and Indian cleantech companies under the India-Sweden Innovations Accelerator (ISIA) - an initiative by the Swedish Energy Agency with the purpose to bridge innovations and entrepreneurship between India and Sweden.

ISIA has developed several new clean energy technologies, including solar powered water pumps to bring water and energy to rural India, and the repurposing of the material used to make airbags to create fabric-based biogas reactors.

The statement said the Sweden Alumni Network of India have independently organised a month-long programme called 'Sweden India Science Sambandh' which aims to promote and build on the existing connections in science between Sweden and India.

There are a large number of alumni from Swedish universities and programmes who are back and are wonderful ambassadors for Sweden in India, ambassador Molin said.

--IANS

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