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3IP: India-Israel Innovation Program

NATIONAL INNOVATION STRATEGIES: INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Steering Committee: Dr Orna Berry; Prof Shlomo Maital; Prof Morris Teubal; Prof Manuel Trajtenberg. Ex Officio members: Dr Eli Opper; Prof Nadav Liron; Prof Gadi Ariav; Mr. Naftali Moser.

3IP: India-Israel Innovation Program

Steering committee: Dr Shuki Gleitman (Chairman); Ms Anat Bernstein; Mr. Nachman Shelef; Prof Morris Teubal; Prof Manuel Trajtenberg; Mr. Raviv Zoller. Ex Officio members: Dr Eli Opper; Prof Nadav Liron; Prof Gadi Ariav; Mr. Naftali Moser.

Scientific committee: Prof Gadi Ariav (Chairman); Prof Nadav Liron; Prof Shlomo Maital; Dr Dafna Schwartz; Prof Morris Teubal; Dr Orly Yehezkel.

Academic Director: Prof Gadi Ariav.

Program Coordinator: Mr Naftali Moser.

The India-Israel Innovation initiative has gained significant focus and concreteness over 2006.  SNI's efforts since 2004 have borne fruit in 2006 with the establishment of a joint India-Israel research program (labeled "3IP") focusing on mutual and complimentary advantages of collaborative Indo-Israeli ventures in the global business competitive space. See publication "India-Israel: Potential Ahead" brought out by the Embassy of India in Israel".  The premise of the program is the mutual recognition in Israel and India that fulfilling the joint global business competitive potential requires methodical examination of a wide array of practical and conceptual issues.  Moreover, there is a widening understanding that the Israeli economy faces a 5 to 10 year window of opportunity to become significant in the Indian and Chinese markets, and that missing this opportunity will significantly threaten Israel's role in the global business landscape.

The program focuses on identifying complementarities, establishing links, exchanging views and scholars, coordinating policies and disseminating information on each other.  The highlights of the Program in 2006 have been:

·        A delegation to India, visiting Bangalore and New Delhi in (February).

·        A joint Workshop at IIM Bangalore focusing on globalized R&D, as part of the above visit.

·        The structuring of the India-Israel Innovation Program, including the appointment of an academic director and program coordinator, as well as the assembly of steering and scientific committees (Summer).

·        Hosting distinguished guests from India in various forums within Israeli academia (Fall).

·        Organizing a session focusing on Asia as part of Globes' Israel Business Conference 2006, as well as the publication of background materials in a special Globes supplement (December).

·        A follow-up visit to India, reviewing the structure of 3IP with the program's partners, as well as discussing particular research efforts and recruiting Indian researchers in Kolkata, Gurgaon and Banglaore for the 3IP Academic Network (December).

In February 2006 a three day workshop was held, entitled "India-Israel Workshop on Technology Innovation and Finance", co-organized by S. Neaman Institute with the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and our partners at the Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC) and the Indian Government Department of Science & Technology (DST). The workshop consisted of presentations, discussions, individual meetings as well as a visit to the campus of Infosys Technologies, a global leader in IT. Workshop participants represented government, academia and industry from both countries.

In New Delhi the delegation met with representatives of the Department of Science & Technology and agreed on ways in which the program could support increased cooperation between the countries.  In September the Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology gave official approval to the Indian side of the 3IP. 

Further discussion of significant issues and research themes and directions were held in meetings with TIFAC, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and the Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology, at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India.

As a result of these consultations, four specific joint policy research studies have been identified, conceived or launched.  A joint study of technological incubators in both countries is already being conducted by Prof DVR Seshadri of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and Prof Shlomo Maital of S. Neaman Institute. - publication

Another topic that gained broad support from various Indian bodies has been a study of the relevant lessons from the 30 years of operations of BIRD – the Israel-US Binational Industrial R&D Foundation, as a model for the promotion of Indo-Israeli industrial cooperation.  The study involves NASSCOM and specifically Prof Rishikesha Krishnan (IIM Bangalore) who leads NASSCOM's research.

A joint study was conceived with the Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology, Prof Samir Brahmachari and Israeli researchers, to find new ways of partnering in order to develop affordable drugs, via cooperation between the countries.  

Finally, a joint study was conceived to outline various possible IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) regimes which could be used in joint projects between Indian and Israeli companies.  The study will engage academia, professional experts as well as Indian and Israeli executives with practical experience in this urgent domain.

The program hosted guest lecturers in Israel. Prof DVR Seshadri visited Israel in May and gave lectures at the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv and at the S. Neaman Institute.  In November, the Chief Operating Officer of Infosys Technologies, Mr S. Gopalakrishnan addressed a large gathering at Tel Aviv University, providing his perspective on the remarkable development of Infosys and the Indian IT industry. 

In December 3IP hosted Prof Y.S. Rajan, Principal Adviser, Confederation of Indian Industry and co-author with Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the serving President of India, of "India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millenium".  S. Neaman Institute, together with the Embassy of India in Israel organized a special session as part of the Globes Newspaper's Israel Business Conference.  The session, entitled "Asia – The Great Unknown", was attended by 200 participants. Mr Eli Ichai, Minister of Industry and Trade, addressed the session, and gave his impressions of his recent visit to India at the head of a business delegation. The session's keynote was delivered by Prof Y.S. Rajan who pointed to Israeli opportunities in India. The session included addresses by Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh; Prof Gadi Ariav; and by executives from Manpower; Fortune Magazine and Luzzatto & Luzzatto.

Following the Globes Conference, Prof Rajan delivered lectures at the S. Neaman Institute; at Tel Aviv University and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  During the visit of Prof Rajan we held the inaugural meeting of the executive and the scientific committees of the India Israel Innovation Program and discussed its action focus and research agenda.  These were further discussed with the program's partners during the visit of Prof Gadi Ariav in India at the end of 2006.

Through our activities in Israel and India in 2006 we have started to build a community of researchers, government officials, VCs and industry executives who support the 3IP mission and who form the basis for the program's continued work. Some 1,000 people were exposed to the 3IP this year: some 500 in events organized by the program and another 500 in events in which 3IP representatives made presentations.

BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

The year 2004 was used to develop a project plan and team. A partnership was formed between the S. Neaman Institute, the Office of the Chief Scientist (see www.moit.gov.il) and Matimop, the Israeli Industry Center for R&D (www.matimop.org.il). Relations were established with our Indian partners, the Department of Science & Technology (www.dst.gov.in); TIFAC, the Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (www.tifac.org.in); and the Indian Embassy in Israel, during a visit to Israel and the S. Neaman Institute in July 2004 by a delegation lead by the Secretary to the Government of India; Department of Science & Technology; and a visit to India by Prof Nadav Liron. We identified and met interested parties from academia, industry and NGOs in the two countries.

 The first major activity was the workshop "India and Israel: R&D as a Strategic Bridge", held at the S. Neaman Institute on 29-31 May 2005 (workshop plan). (summary of workshop).

The workshop was opened by Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister of Science and Technology & Ocean Development, Government of India;

Mr Arun Kumar Singh, Indian Ambassador to Israel and Dr Eli Opper, Chief Scientist, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. A large Indian delegation (see list attached), headed by Prof Anand Patwardhan, Executive Director of TIFAC, our Indian partners, spent a week in Israel. From the Israeli side, participants came from government, academia and industry. The workshop was under the auspices of the Samuel Neaman Institute; the Office of the Chief Scientist; Matimop-the Israeli Industry Center for R&D and the Technion.

In May 2005, the two Governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Industrial Research and Development Initiative, to promote bilateral industrial R&D cooperation between companies in India and Israel. The MOU was signed by the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, Government of Israel. In August 2005, the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor visited India (seminar program). 

A second workshop was held in Bangalore on 23-25 February 2006 under the title "India-Israel Workshop on Technology Innovation & Finance", organized by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore in collaboration with TIFAC, DST and SNI. (workshop plan). (summary of workshop).

          Visiting incubator at IIMB, Bangalore    Prof Liron and Prof Patwardhan           Visiting IGIB, Delhi

Following our visit to Bangalore we had a series of meetings in Delhi.

We visited the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India for a meeting chaired by Prof V. S. Ramamurthy, Secretary. (www.dst.gov.in)

We visited the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for a meeting chaired by Prof Y. S. Rajan, Principal Adviser. (www.ciionline.org)

 We visited our partners the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council, Department of Science & Technology (TIFAC) for a meeting chaired by Prof A. Patwardhan, Executive Director. (www.tifac.org.in)

We visited the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) for a meeting chaired by Mr K. Karnik, President. (www.nasscom.in). (see presentation1) (see presentation 2).

 We visited the Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India for a meeting chaired by Prof S. K. Brahmachari, Director. (www.igib.res.in)

On 17 May 2006 we held a seminar in Tel Aviv together with the Embassy of India.

Entitled "India And Israel : Synergies And Complementarities In Innovation : Various Perspectives", the seminar was attended by some 60 people. ( Seminar details) 

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