As world leaders are gearing up for COP 29, India and Sweden are making sure that their collaboration is more substantial than before. As far as industrial decarbonization and green transition are concerned. India-Sweden Innovation Day 2024 has thus laid the foundation of such initiatives by both countries promising to show their work at COP 30.
The event’s underlying theme, “Accelerating Green Growth for Inclusive Transition,” brought together thinkers, policymakers, and innovators to debate innovative solutions to global challenges. This 11th edition featured a session on ‘Co-Creating the Future‘ where experts from India and Sweden discussed joint innovation and technological collaboration in the lead-up to COP 29.
Emphasizing this aspect, the Government of India’s Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Sweden stands 2nd in Europe in the ranking concerning the Global Innovation Index. Whereas India leads Central Asia in the same list. Dr. Singh underlined the fact that full potential is yet to be realized in several key research. And innovation areas between the two countries in industrial entrepreneurship and startups.
The Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and Enterprise, Ebba Busch, Government of Sweden, appreciated the fast-growing startup ecosystem in India. Comprising over 75,000 startups and 100 unicorns. She said this partnership looks very promising, as it nests Sweden’s innovation leadership in the economic growth of India.
It also had a leadership panel on ‘Green Growth with Inclusive Transition’ that focused on sustainable economic growth, green manufacturing. And the reforms in policy required to decarbonize steel, cement, and other industries.
Besides Industrial Decarbonization, the event underlined collaborations in biotechnology, space explorations, and renewable energies. Both countries are looking for matching areas of their expertise, such as AI and smart cities, for sustainable urbanization.
This became a significant platform for enabling joint projects through the India-Sweden Innovation Accelerator initiated in 2009. Today, more than 250 projects have been initiated, a large number. Aiming at solving solutions necessary to reach the global climate goals. “This has now contributed to the co-development of products. And solutions for market launch,” explained Ludvig Lindstrom, Senior Advisor with the Swedish Energy Agency.
Thus, India and Sweden look ahead to COP 29 and raise a platform for supporting green manufacturing. Energy efficiency, and sustainable urbanization. Conclusively, these will be imperative for the respective countries in the journey. Toward achieving ambition in the globally stated climate goals.
ANI
