Harsh Vardhan addresses DST-CII Tech Summit 2020; says 'science has been mankind's savior'

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday addressed 26th edition of DST-CII Technology Summit. The DST-CII Technology Summit 2020 was organised by the Department of Science & technology (DST), Government of India and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). from December 7 to 9. During his addresses, the Union Health Minister said that over 100 startups have provided innovative products and solutions to overcome challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Harsh Vardhan addresses DST-CII Technology Summit

Stating that it was an honour to inaugurate the 26th edition of DST-CII Technology Summit with Portugal as the partner country, the Union Minister said this summit has helped foster India's vibrant tech ecosystem and forge partnerships with other countries. Vardhan also said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, science has been mankind's savior. "I am sure deliberations at the Summit on critical areas of healthcare, water, agriculture, food processing and IT will provide novel ideas for harnessing the power of STI for greater social good and achieving SDGs," he added. 

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Speaking about India's battle against Coronavirus, the Union Minister said that India's fight against the pandemic has been aided by exceptional efforts of our scientists. Highlighting the support from the government, he said, "We are also leading vaccine development efforts."

As per the statement by Secretary DST Professor Ashutosh Sharma, DST-CII Technology Summit has served as a platform to forge and strengthen bilateral relationships. The professor also said that this summit led to the formation of new joint ventures and also help in creating new avenues for collaboration to boost trade and investment between India and Portugal. 

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Professor Ashutosh Sharma said, "In these summits, DST has facilitated co-creation of knowledge, two-way technology transfer, collaborative R&D projects, and enhanced market access between India and the partner countries, industries, and research institutions."

The Ambassador of Portugal to India, Carlos Pereira Marques, said that innovation is an absolute priority for India and Portugal as both the countries excel in these areas. Marques added that despite of having different dimensions, both the countries have achieved a high level of excellence. "The summit represents a unique opportunity to create strategies and develop innovative projects of collaboration in key areas such as trade, agriculture, Industry and research." Marques added. 

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(With ANI inputs)