New Delhi, Jan 19 (FN Bureau) Taking forward their unique Green Strategic Partnership, India and Denmark have agreed to initiate joint research and development on green fuels, including green hydrogen. During the Joint Science and Technology Committee virtual meeting on January 14, 2022, the two sides discussed national strategic priorities and developments in Science, Technology, and Innovation of both countries with special focus on green solutions of the future – strategy for investments in green research, technology, and innovation. The committee emphasised on development of bilateral collaboration on mission-driven research, innovation, and technology development, including climate and green transition, energy, water, waste, food, and so on, as was agreed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, while adopting the Green Strategic Partnership – Action Plan 2020-2025.
The two sides agreed to organise 3-4 webinars for partnership development and stressed on promoting the call for proposals in green fuels, including green hydrogen. The Joint Committee also reviewed the progress of the ongoing projects of the last two joint calls being implemented in the areas of energy research; water; cyber-physical systems, and bioresources and secondary agriculture, an official statement said. India and Denmark had launched the Green Strategic Partnership during the Virtual Summit between the two PMs on September 28, 2020. During PM Mette Frederiksen’s India visit in October last year, the two PMs welcomed the detailed 5-year Action Plan (2021-2026) and noted the progress in its implementation. The two Prime Ministers had agreed to enhance commercial cooperation in new technologies, in particular green hydrogen, E-mobility and storage, and stressed on Indian-Danish collaboration for low emissions as well as in the planned joint call for research and development projects in the area of green fuels, including green hydrogen, the joint statement issued had said. The Joint Science and Tech committee meeting was co-chaired by S. K. Varshney, Adviser & Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, and Dr. Stine Jørgensen, Deputy Director of the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, Govt. of Denmark. Pooja Kapur, Ambassador of India in Denmark, and Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark in New Delhi, also addressed the Joint Committee. On the Indian side, representatives from the Department of Science & Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research participated in the deliberations.