Germany launches new project to boost IT R& D in India

By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 22 April 2010, 17:43 IST
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Bangalore: Under the aegis of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, a German delegation of acatech - German Academy of Science and Engineering, announced the commencement of their latest project 'German-Indian Partnership for IT Systems (GRIP-IT)'. The project is in cooperation with the Indo-German Max-Planck Center for Computer Science which is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The kick-off workshop of the project was conducted today at the SAP Labs in Whitefield, Bangalore. Fostering co-operation and forging new ties in promising areas such as Embedded Systems, Internet of Things and Services and Green IT, is the focus of the GRIP-IT project, initiated by acatech - German Academy of Science and Engineering with backing and funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Indo-German Max-Planck Center for Computer Science playing a crucial role. "It is high time to adjust perceptions. India does not only stand for top production locations in the area of IT systems. Highly qualified workforces are also on a par with the best minds in R&D. The main objective of the project is to set up and build networks between German and Indian partners from industry and academia," said Henning Kagermann, President of Acatech, Supervisory Board Member for Wipro and Former CEO of SAP AG, who has gained insights in both the German and Indian IT markets alike. Facilitated by this project, India and Germany - two of the world's powerhouses are venturing into the new area of working together in the field of IT. The German delegation will be organising various symposia and workshops across India to encourage German and Indian R & D, which will further help analyse specific non-technical hurdles regarding intercultural cooperation in the field of IT systems. The project is also expected to strengthen ties between the Science Academies in both countries. Given the 2,700 German-Indian joint ventures set up since 1991, GRIP-IT shows promise of aiding the turning point in the academic sector, all the while reiterating Germany being India's most important trade partner within the European Union.