By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : December 08, 2025 8:03 pm
This event signalled a shift where India's S&T Clusters will evolve into national technology accelerators, translating research into deployed solutions
The first International Science & Technology Clusters Conference, hosted by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India (GoI) on December 4-5, 2025 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, resulted in the signing of 12 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and the launch of a new educational platform.
The agreements cover a range of critical domains, including clean energy, healthcare, and advanced technologies, reflecting a shared commitment to translating research into practical applications.
Eight Science & Technology (S&T) Clusters entered into 12 MoUs with various national and international partners from Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland. These collaborations are designed to drive innovation and delivery in clean and renewable energy, environmental sustainability and circular economy solutions, advanced technologies and Industry 4.0, agriculture and bio-innovation and healthcare and life sciences.
This event signalled a shift where India's S&T Clusters will evolve into national technology accelerators, translating research into deployed solutions for critical sectors like water, agriculture, and climate resilience.
The theme of the Conference was "Making Lives Easier Through S&T". The conference was inaugurated by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood. He was joined by Scientific Secretary, Dr. Parvinder Maini; United Kingdom (UK) Chief Scientific Adviser, Prof. Sir John Edmunds; and Dr. Vishal Choudhary, Scientist ‘F’, OPSA.
Welcoming the delegate, Maini explained the importance of the Quadruple Helix model that guides the functioning of the cluster. She emphasized the necessity of scaling cluster-led innovations through broader engagement across ministries, state departments, and international partnerships.
Sood, in his keynote address, highlighted that the conference demonstrated the S&T Clusters are now effective "instruments of delivery," having successfully moved beyond the conceptual stage. He emphasised the conference as a global platform to exchange ideas, showcase scalable solutions, and strengthen international partnerships.
Talking about the long-standing ties of scientific collaboration between the two nations, Prof. Edmunds, highlighted India’s strengths in vaccine manufacturing, biotech, software and more, making it a valuable partner.
Choudhary set the context for the conference by presenting an overview of key achievements from each Cluster. He confirmed the international scope of the agreements signed during the two-day discussions. "As an outcome of the two days discussions in the conference, the S&T Clusters have signed 12 MoUs with International partners from Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland.”
In addition to the MoUs, the conference saw the unveiling of CHEM AMAZE, a gamified learning platform. The deliberations established a forward-looking roadmap for India’s S&T clusters, outlining priorities for their next phase of evolution into national resources.
The 42-stall exhibition at the event showcased scalable, technology-led solutions developed by the S&T Clusters across six thematic areas - Smart Agriculture, Healthcare, Environmental Sustainability, Industry Automation & Startups, Plastic & E–Waste Management, and Technologies Empowering Livelihoods. The exhibition also featured innovations from international stakeholders and RuTAG, highlighting India’s growing innovation ecosystem.
The conference concluded with a forward-looking roadmap for India’s S&T Clusters, outlining priorities for the next phase, where Clusters will evolve into national technology accelerators enabling deployment of solutions in critical areas such as water, agriculture, climate resilience, and sustainability.
The S&T Clusters initiative is a flagship programme of the OPSA, conceptualised on the recommendation of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). At present, eight Clusters operate across the country in Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, the Northern Region (J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh), Pune, and Visakhapatnam.