Visit to India focus on data-driven innovation

Edinburgh joined institutions from across Scotland to explore possible research partnerships with Indian universities and businesses. The visit from 24 to 29 November was to highlight Scotland’s expertise in innovation, concentrating on technology, life sciences and precision medicine.

Data-driven innovation offers a great opportunity to generate value in both food production and human health care. Data-driven innovation has the potential to facilitate accessing, collating, storing and analysing diverse data sets.

During the visit, activities included engagement with India's data driven innovation industry and promotion of Edinburgh's strengths in Artificial Intelligence. Events also focussed on medical research and development as well as potential collaborations in drug discovery, precision medicine and agritech.

The visit seeks to develop partnerships with industry and academic institutions and establish new trade and investment links by supporting industrial collaborations between the Scottish Higher Education sector and Indian companies.

The visit led by Scottish Government's Deputy First Minister John Swinney was joined by Senior Vice Principal Professor Charlie Jeffery, Deanery of Clinical Sciences Professor Charles French Constant, The Roslin Institute’s Deputy Director Professor Bruce Whitelaw, and Regional Director for South Asia Amrita Sadarangani.

Also taking part, the Universities of Dundee, Glasgow, St Andrews, Strathclyde and Heriot Watt University. Edinburgh alumni also attended a reception to mark St. Andrews Day at the British High Commissioner's residence in Delhi.

We have enjoyed a long standing-relationship with India. An important part of our engagement has been the development of major, mutually beneficial links with Indian businesses, and institutions and universities. This week’s series of events will develop existing partnerships and create new collaborations that will drive forward our relationship with India in the coming years.

Professor Charlie Jeffery, Senior Vice Principal, University of Edinburgh

India is an important international partner to Scotland and we have successfully collaborated on hundreds of different projects in recent years. Working with the delegation from our world renowned universities we will highlight the strengths and achievements of Scotland’s higher education sector and promote the exciting opportunities for Indian students to visit, work and study here.

John Swinney, Deputy First Minister, Scottish Government

Professor Bruce Whitelaw of The Roslin Institute works on developing and exploiting new breeding technologies that are based around genome editing and stem cells in farmed animals, which also have potential for human health.

During the visit to India, Bruce met with institutions in India to explore how these technologies can be transformative to the dairy and poultry businesses.

Edinburgh has strong links with India and the University’s India Liaison Office in Mumbai encourages new research collaborations and academic exchanges. Edinburgh also has the largest group of Indian students in Scotland. More than 350 Indian students have studied at Edinburgh in the past academic year.