A Smart City & Innovation Delegation comprising Swedish government agencies, companies, NGOs and academia from Sweden, arrived in Goa as a part of the roadshow organised by the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai, Vinnova, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Smart City Sweden, and Business Sweden India. After successful meetings in Pune and Mumbai, the delegation arrived in Goa; stated a press release.
On the sidelines of the visit, an exhibition titled Re:Waste: How Sweden is rethinking resources, is on display at the BITS Pilani Campus.
The aim of the visit is to foster cross-border cooperation and exchange of ideas between Sweden and Goa/India in the areas of smart cities and innovation, during which the delegation will meet with their Indian counterparts to discuss current initiatives and potential opportunities for collaboration.
Anna Lekvall, Consul General, Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Smart City & Innovation delegation to India and look forward to engaging in these important discussions over the next few days. Sweden and India are partners with complementarities with a keen commitment to sustainable urban solutions. This visit will provide us with a valuable opportunity to learn from each other and explore potential partnerships and collaborations.”
Sweden has been a leader in sustainable urban development, with several of its cities ranking highly in terms of sustainability, smart technology, and innovation. The delegation will bring their expertise to India, sharing their experiences and best practices with Indian counterparts in the cities they visit.
Head of the Delegation, Rupali Deshmukh, Country Manager (INDIA) of IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute & CEO IVL India Environmental R&D Pvt. Ltd, said: “I believe there is a strong need to set up research and innovation partnerships among leading research agencies and universities from Sweden and India to develop next generation smart city solutions that can be tested in local conditions.”
The visit is expected to further strengthen the relationship between Sweden and India and pave the way for future cooperation in the field of smart cities and innovation.
A Round Table Discussion was conducted with Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) and other authorities including Goa Pollution Board and education institutes like BITS Pilani Goa. There was also a companies’ match-making session with Goa Energy Development Agency.
Programmes in each of the cities involved workshops, site visits, panel discussions and networking events with local partners including representatives of municipal corporation, researchers, companies, innovators etc. who will share exchange knowledge, technologies and discuss possible opportunities with Swedish counterparts within the areas of Smart cities. The workshops will also cater to the need to setup research collaborations among leading research agencies and universities from Sweden and India to develop next-generation sustainable solutions for cities solutions that can be tested in local conditions.
