Utrecht, TERI to exchange knowledge in academics & business

NEW DELHI: Utrecht province of the Netherlands and Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) today joined hands to help Dutch and Indian firms exchange knowledge and participate in various funding schemes relating to sustainable development.

After inking a pact, Queen's Commissioner R Robbertsen said, "Opportunities for Indian research institutes and companies in the province of Utrecht is immense. Utrecht has already attracted about 1,200 foreign firms to the region and the collaboration with TERI is an example of the potential of such pacts."

A 15-member delegation, led by Robbertsen, is in India to explore existing and potential cooperation in the areas of academics and business.

Director General, TERI, R K Pachauri hoped that knowledge organisations in India will play an increasingly important role not only in areas of national significance, but also on issues of global relevance.

"The partnership being established between TERI, India and Utrecht, the Netherlands would have enormous value in meeting these goals, as TERI along with its university would provide knowledge and higher learning on subjects related to sustainable development which would find natural allies in Utrecht University and the province of Utrecht."

Topics such as biomass conversion, water, energy efficiency and sustainable cities were selected to initiate scientific and industrial collaboration in the two regions.

"The collaboration between TERI and Utrecht attempts to make use of existing funding schemes to bring Dutch and Indian private partners into play, the opportunities for Indian private companies being excellent to participate in such EU and other schemes," a statement from the TERI said.

In order to support this, TERI will set up an office in the Utrecht region to facilitate branching out of the activities over Europe and Asia, using the Utrecht-TERI collaboration as the starting point, it added.