Launch of European Business and Technology Centre

Enhancing business and technology cooperation between EU and India.

A European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC) is starting to operate in India from 1 October 2008, following the signature today of the financing contract between H.E. Danièle Smadja, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to India and Mr Arnaldo Abruzzini, Secretary General of Eurochambres. The creation of the Centre has been endorsed by EU-India leaders last year during their yearly Summit in New Delhi.

"The objective of the European Commission in launching the Centre is clear, says Ambassador Danièle Smadja. We expect it to foster links between European and Indian businesses as well as between Science and Technology actors with the view to promote the EU with an interest in India and respond to the demands of the Indian market. Through this Centre we are committed to promote sustainable clean technologies in India".

A consortium led by Eurochambres has been selected to operate the EBTC; its operations will be entirely demand driven. The initial budget of the Centre is over 8 million euro, 80% of which is coming from the EU budget (i.e. Euro 6.6 million ). Another Euro 5 million is expected from the EU budget in the months to come.

"The ambition of Eurochambres' consortium - says Secretary General Mr. Abruzzini - is to develop a Centre that will become THE reference point for promoting European clean technologies in India, and will be recognised for the quality of its services, its knowledge of the Indian market and its capacity to reach out to the entire European business and research community".

The EBTC will primarily focus on sectors such as Environment (including Clean Development Mechanism, Chemicals Management, Water Management and Waste Management); Transport; Energy (renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal, and carbon capture and storage technologies) and Biotechnology - all sectors being intrinsically related to Climate Change (including mitigation and adaptation technologies). In addition all sectors where the EU business operators experience market access constraints will be included.

The Centre will build synergies among the Chambers of Commerce of EU Member States already established in India; it intends to collaborate with the existing European business associations in India and Europe. It will also interface between public policy makers and private actors. Raising awareness about existing European programmes in the field of Science and Technology as well as business and industry cooperation are other examples of its planned activities.

The EBTC aims at providing a platform for profitable interactions between EU and Indian business entities and research institutions to enhance mutual trade and research partnerships. Exchange of know-how and information on state-of-the-art and emerging technologies, organisation of match-making events, assisting EU businesses and researchers working in India, dissemination of information are just illustrations of the activities that the Centre will immediately start to organise and plan.

Location

New Delhi: 2 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri
In order to ensure immediate activity update, the EBTC is running from the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce of New Delhi - a temporary setting.

Regional antennae

Mumbai: for the first two years this antenna is hosted by the indo-German Chamber of Commerce
Bangalore: For the first two years this Centre is hosted by the Euro-India research Centre

Members of the Consortium led by Eurochambres:

Swedish Environmental Institute -IVL (S)
Finpro (FI)
Lyon Chamber of Commerce (F)
Fraunhofer Institute IFF (D)
Centro Estero Piemonte (I)
Politecnico di Torino (I)
Danish Technology Institute (DK)
Coventry Chamber of Commerce (UK)
Coventry University Enterprise (UK)
Milan Chamber of Commerce (I)
ERBI Cambridge (UK)
COPCA (ES)
Baltic Innovation Agency (EE)
Unioncamere Piemonte (I)
Steinbeiss Foundation (D)
Indo German Institute (D)
European Patent Office
European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)
European Business Group

Organisations already associated with EBTC

FICCI
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)
IBAB (Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology)
AITS (Association for Intelligent Transport System India)
ELCINA (Electronic Industries Association of India)
TiE Kerala (The Indus Entrepreneurs)
CLIK (Manufacturers Association of Karnataka)
BCIC (Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Dayanand Sagar Institute (Polytechnic Institution)
MS Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies
EU India Research Centre
Emerg India (Sectoral association of Women Entrepreneurs)
ITSMA (Information Technology Services Marketing Association)

Source: The European Commission's Delegation