India's S&T Clusters: Catalyzing Innovation and Collaboration

The second All S&T Clusters' Meet, chaired by Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay K Sood, celebrated collaboration and innovation across India's eight Science and Technology clusters. Emphasizing interdisciplinarity and collaboration, the event spotlighted regional challenges through holistic S&T endeavors, showcasing initiatives and promoting industry linkages for societal advancement.

In a significant event highlighting the transformative potential of science and technology, the second All S&T Clusters' Meet, chaired by India's Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay K Sood, took place in Bhubaneswar. The meeting's timing coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Principal Scientific Advisory Office, marking a milestone in India's scientific progress.

The S&T Cluster Initiative, launched in 2020, has given birth to eight dynamic clusters in India, including the Bhubaneswar City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster Foundation and the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster. These clusters unite academia, industry, government, and startups to tackle regional challenges through innovative S&T approaches. Key achievements and initiatives were shared, demonstrating the power of collaborative efforts.

Prof. Ajay K Sood, in his keynote address, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinarity and breaking silos to promote a collective problem-solving mindset. He underlined the cluster model's focus on achieving outcomes unattainable by traditional methods and encouraged inter-cluster collaborations to scale impactful projects. The meeting also recognized Phase 2.0 of the cluster initiative, stressing industry linkages and collaboration for societal advancement.

(With inputs from agencies.)