New Delhi: India and Italy will strengthen their longstanding scientific partnership and take forward joint research and innovation initiatives, following a bilateral meeting between Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, an official statement said on Friday.
The discussions focused on translating the India-Italy Strategic Partnership into practical scientific collaboration, strengthening institutional mechanisms and exploring new opportunities for joint research in emerging and priority technology areas.
Looking ahead, both sides are in the process of launching a new call in 2027 under the MoU.
The proposed areas include artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing and big data; clean technologies, hydrogen, renewable energy and the energy transition; and advanced biotechnology and biomedical research with particular attention to gene therapy, mRNA technologies and biomanufacturing.
Dr. Singh expressed hope that India and Italy would maintain their close association to promote practical cooperation by leveraging the science, technology and innovation ecosystems of both countries. He assured full cooperation from the Indian side.
The minister further noted that the first Inter-governmental Agreement in Science & Technology between India and Italy was signed in 1978 and renewed on November 28, 2003.
India-Italy relations were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) for 2025-2029 in November 2024.
As a follow-up, an Italian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, along with Bernini, visited New Delhi in April 2025.
During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Italy’s Ministry of University and Research (MUR).
Under the Science & Technology Agreement, both sides have supported bilateral activities through the Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC).
More than 150 joint projects have been implemented under the programme, according to the government.
The current EPOC for 2025-27 was signed on April 10, 2025. Under it, both sides agreed to jointly fund 10 proposals for the mobility of researchers and 10 proposals for significant research.
The first India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue was held in New Delhi on April 11, 2025.
The second edition in 2026 is being organised as a continuation of this engagement.
(IANS)
