A new agreement is seeking to lay the foundations for a start-up bridge between India’s most industrialised state and Western Australia’s thriving innovation ecosystem. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by iTNT Hub – India’s first emerging and deeptech innovation network – and the Curtin-based WA Data Science Innovation Hub, the Western Australia cluster for data science, artificial intelligence, and information technology innovation.
What is the mission behind the partnership?
The Memorandum of Understanding between iTNT and WA Data Science Innovation Hub was signed on the first day of the Umagine conference, held in Nandambakkam, Tamil Nadu, and attended by the state’s IT and Digital Services Minister, Hon. Thiru Mano Thangaraj, and Western Australia’s Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Hon. Stephen Dawson.
Anchored by the Government of Tamil Nadu and supported by the Government of India in collaboration with industries, iTNT Hub is building India’s first emerging and deeptech innovation network for entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and industry.
WADSIH is a Western Australian Government initiative, and supported by Curtin University, which aims to ensure the State remains at the forefront of the digital revolution by increasing the uptake, education, training and awareness of data science in Western Australia.
Minister Dawson highlighted the benefits of the exciting collaboration in his keynote speech to the conference. “The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding between the WADSIH and iTNT is to generate mutually beneficial defined collaboration for the development of common goals for ecosystems in Tamil Nadu and Western Australia,” Mr Dawson said.
What does the partnership mean for iTNT?
Commenting on the MOU, iTNT Hub Chief Executive Officer Mr Vijay Anand said he was delighted to have the support of heads of state and senior ministers as visiting delegations under the guidance of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in Western Australia and the Department of Information Technology and Digital Services in Tamil Nadu.
“This Memorandum of Understanding is laying the foundations for a start-up and innovation bridge between Tamil Nadu and Western Australia, paving the way for greater collaboration and exchange between these two innovation ecosystems,” Mr Anand commented.
“Our primary goal is working with entrepreneurs, innovators, an academic network of over 570 engineering colleges and industry to spur innovation at scale, and we look forward to the outcomes of this exciting collaboration with the brilliant start-up minds in Western Australia.”
What does the partnership mean for WADSIH?
Curtin-based WADSIH Director Mr Alex Jenkins said the MOU would offer exchange and collaboration opportunities between innovators, entrepreneurs and the brightest students in India and Western Australia. “AI is expected to add $22 trillion to the global economy within the next seven years, so it’s vital that we work together with the world’s leaders in data science, applied artificial intelligence and information tech-based innovation,” Mr Jenkins said.
“Tamil Nadu produces more engineering graduates than any other state in the world, so we are thrilled to be working with the team at iTNT to take innovation to the next level.”
WADSIH Program Manager Ivana Deng said the collaboration had the potential to make a difference on the global stage.“This MOU will enable Western Australia’s thriving start-up community to work with the talent from India’s most industrialised state to drive innovation across the Indian Ocean. By cross-collaborating around innovation, we have the potential to create novel solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues,” Ms Deng commented.
For more information about iTNT Hub, visit here.
