Aurangabad, Jan 12 (KNN) An Industry Academia Engagement summit is being organised in the city on 22 January, 2018, in collaboration with GIZ, Ministry of MSMEs, MASSIA and CSMSS College of Engineering.

Guest of honour- Padma Vibhushan Dr. Anil Kakodkar and other prominent personalities of Industries and Academia from across Maharashtra are expected to join the summit.

“When industries and academia work in tandem they become a powerful engine for economic growth and innovation. However, various studies show that barring a few examples (pertaining to mostly large companies and Institutes) the Industry & Academia remain largely disconnected in the country. While both Industry and academia are aware of the benefits such collaborations bring, still such partnerships don’t emerge naturally because of various factors,” said the organizers.

MSME Innovation Project is experimenting with alternative approach and support instruments (based on global practices) to foster cooperation between key actors of innovation promotion like industry-academia-buyers-government at the cluster levels. Based on GIZ’s international experience the project has piloted approaches & mechanisms for establishing partnerships which produces seamless interactions.

There are several areas of cooperation between SMEs and local academic & research Institutions; like - Find industry partners for commercialisation of Lab Scale Technology / R&D results; Joint research/live project (Academic and Students) with Industry; and Incubation services for promoting Start-ups /Spin offs  - adding new services aligned with “Start-up India”.

Engaging students on live industries projects was one key and successful initiative that GIZ, MASSIA and academic partners have been conducting since last two years, said Tasvvar Ali, Technical Expert-Promotion of Innovation in MSMEs, GIZ Aurangabad.

This initiative has succeeded to bring the positive changes to enhance the collaboration in Industry and Academia. In year 2017, total 72 industrial projects were allotted to 06 engineering colleges of the region where more than 200 students and faculty members worked on industrial projects for a period of two months, Ali added.

To deliberate on the success of industries projects initiative and to further extend to state level, an Industry Academia Engagement Summit is planned in Aurangabad where all major institutes/Academia/Industries and other stakeholders from all across Maharashtra would be invited.

Interested students/faculties/Innovators/Industries and Association may register themselves on online link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16SA88dGg-w8MV6HABoTs7SimjjefbUydI087ks9-xfM/edit