Swiss Embassy to celebrate Year of Swiss Innovation in India

NEW DELHI: Switzerland Embassy is commemorating 2015-16 as the Year of Swiss Innovation in India under which it will initiate a dialogue between scientific communities, researchers and entreprenuers of the two countries.

"We are commemorating 2015-16 as the Year of Swiss Innovation in India. Under this programme we will share and showcase technologies through series of events and initiate dialogues between the scientific community, researchers and entrepreneurs of India and Switzerland," Swiss Ambassador to India Linus von Castelmur said in a statement.

Castelmur said Switzerland is also working with government and private partners in India in the area of energy efficiency.

"We intend to lead the path towards sustainable development and reduction of negative environmental impacts," he said.

Castelmur said in consistency with the expertise that Switzerland has acquired over the years in the area of innovation and research, it has ranked number one for four consecutive years in the global innovation index.

Switzerland, which has five nuclear reactors generating 40 per cent of electricity, has set a target of phasing out use of nuclear power by 2034. In June 2011, Swiss Parliament resolved not to replace any reactors and, hence, to phase out nuclear power by 2034.

The country has been focussing on harnessing natural sources of energy like solar power and wind power to meet its requirements.