Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has called for strengthening India-Italy collaborative research, emphasising that targeted research partnerships with leading global partners are essential for advancing innovation, transformation and skill development and enabling science-driven societies to make an impact on a global scale.

Addressing the concluding session of the Second India-Italy Science & Innovation Dialogue 2026 in Rome alongside Italian Minister of University and Research, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, Dr. Jitendra Singh said collaborative research was indispensable for taking scientific capabilities to the next level. He emphasised the need for India and Italy to join hands in pursuing complementary and targeted research, leveraging the strengths of their respective scientific and innovation ecosystems.

Congratulating the Indian and Italian delegates from academic institutions, research institutes, incubators and technology incubation hubs on their successful participation in the Second Edition of the Dialogue, the Minister expressed satisfaction at the engagement and the opportunities it offered for strengthening bilateral scientific cooperation.

The Minister recalled that India-Italy relations were elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2023, followed by the announcement of the Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) for 2025-2029 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Ms. Giorgia Meloni in November 2024, providing a roadmap for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

As a follow-up to the Joint Strategic Action Plan, an Italian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Antonio Tajani, along with Minister of University and Research Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, visited New Delhi in April 2025.

Recalling the longstanding foundation of scientific cooperation between the two countries, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the first Inter-governmental Agreement in Science & Technology between India and Italy was signed in 1978 and subsequently renewed on November 28, 2003. The agreement envisages sharing experiences in national research, development and innovation policies and programmes, exchange of scientists and researchers, industrial research, joint research and development projects and joint workshops.

The first India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue was held in New Delhi on April 11, 2025, alongside the bilateral engagements, with experts from research centres and academic institutions participating and exchanging ideas on future collaboration. The Second Dialogue in Rome marks a continuation of this engagement, bringing together a wider cross-section of the scientific, academic and innovation communities of both countries.

Highlighting the existing areas of India-Italy scientific collaboration, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the two countries were working together in several critical fields, including infectious diseases, physics of matter and new materials, quantum technologies, renewable energies and green hydrogen, technologies applied to the preservation of cultural and heritage sites, and the Sustainable Blue Economy.

The discussions during the Second Dialogue were organised around two sessions, with deliberations primarily focusing on Clean Technology; Quantum, AI, Digital & Big Data; and Biotech & Health.

Emphasising the importance of connecting research with practical applications, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Government of India has given a significant push to building a robust start-up ecosystem and that this would require researchers to focus more on translational research.

He noted the participation of incubators and technology hubs supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology through different programmes in areas such as quantum technology and biotechnology. He also referred to the recent launch of several mission-mode programmes by the Government of India, including ANRF and RDI, in the context of strengthening the country's research and innovation ecosystem.

Referring to the two sessions, "Research Excellence and Strategic Technologies" and "From Research to Innovation", the Minister expressed the hope that the discussions would open new opportunities for researchers from both countries to strengthen existing Science & Technology cooperation by leveraging the respective Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) ecosystems.

He further observed that the deliberations could encourage greater experience-sharing and the development of collaborative models for translating research into commercial technologies. Such cooperation could explore opportunities in incubation support for start-ups, pilot-scale demonstration, technology validation and commercialisation, as well as cooperative R&D, technology transfer and incubation services involving start-ups, industries and collaborators.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised that the focus of India-Italy scientific engagement should increasingly extend from research excellence to practical innovation, with stronger linkages between research institutions, academic centres, industry, start-ups and technology incubation hubs.

The Second India-Italy Science & Innovation Dialogue 2026 thus provides an important platform for researchers and innovation stakeholders from both countries to exchange experiences, identify areas of mutual interest and explore collaborative approaches to strengthen the existing bilateral Science & Technology partnership.

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