TU Dresden expands technology transfer with India

Joint first workshop with IIT Madras Research Park, Indian founders and Dresden companies offers opportunity to explore future collaborations

TU Dresden is intensifying its collaboration with IIT Madras Research Park through an innovative exchange initiative between German and Indian start-ups. As part of an international joint start-up workshop "Global Leadership in Intelligent Assistive Technologies" at TU Dresden from August 12^th to 14^th, 2024, representatives of 30 Indian entrepreneurs, including 14 start-ups, came together with German companies such as ZEISS and Infineon, members of the TUD university management, representatives of the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), top researchers as well as founders and transfer experts from TUD.

The importance of these first steps towards intensifying future cooperation is also illustrated by the visit of the Indian Ambassador to TUD at the kick-off on August 12^th, 2024. H.E. Harish Parvathaneni, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Germany, pointed out the special importance of academic cooperation between Saxony and India, among other things with regard to joint study programs and student exchanges, but especially close cooperation in the areas of transfer, inventions and innovation. These areas are now being addressed by TU Dresden together with IIT Madras. The ambassador also emphasized the strong partnership between India and Germany and Saxony based on shared values and with the aim of advancing science and developing technologies for mutual benefit.

One example of such a cooperation is the internationalization project "Startup Exchange Initiative" led by Prof. Andreas Pinkwart, Director of the TUD Excellence Center for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship(TUD|excite). It aims to network TU Dresden's start-ups internationally, promote innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship and at the same time strategically connect inventions with India: "This international workshop with Indian and Saxon representatives from science, industry and the start-up scene is an expression of the special cooperation between TUD |excite and the IIT Madras Research Park. With the current focus on intelligent assistance systems, we are addressing a topic that is becoming increasingly important for a growing number of people worldwide. Together with our Indian partners, we want to provide impetus for the development of these technologies through innovative spin-offs into affordable products for international markets," explains Prof. Andreas Pinkwart.

"We have been working closely with IIT Madras for years in the field of teaching and research on ecological sustainability. Starting with our visit to Chennai last fall, we decided to deepen our cooperation and put it on a broader basis in terms of content. In addition to research and teaching, there is now also technology transfer and, alongside environmental sciences, microelectronics and AI research as well as medical research," says Prof. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden. "A further step on this path of closer cooperation with India is the first Joint Start-up Workshop, which began today and focuses on the important future topic of intelligent assistance systems. TUD|excite and IIT Madras Research Park will also work together with entrepreneurs from Chennai and Dresden on other topics in the future and develop solutions for the challenges of tomorrow."

The planned establishment of a liaison office in Chennai is a further step towards strengthening ties with India and, in particular, intensifying cooperation with IIT Madras. This liaison office between the two locations can significantly strengthen cooperation in the areas of research, student recruitment and technology transfer. "TU Dresden, IIT Madras and IIT Madras Research Park see this initiative as the beginning of a long-term partnership that will lead to significant developments in the field of assistive technologies and beyond," emphasizes Prof. Ronald Tetzlaff, Chief Officer Technology Transfer and Internationalization at TUD.

We are pleased that the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) of TU Dresden and our India project COMPOLL could be represented at the Joint Workshop of the Startup Exchange Initiative by Prof. Maik Gude and the coordinator of the Indian partnerships at the ILK, Dipl.-Ing. Christian Düreth. We not only support the activities of TU Dresden with Chennai, but have also increasingly been able to initiate our own activities with IIT Madras via COMPOLL from New Delhi. Our partner, Prof. Gnanamoorthy, who visited Dresden this year and took part in the 27th Lightweight Engineering Symposium, also sent his PhD student, Mr. Darshan Dange, to the ILK for a three-month COMPOLL internship and to prepare a joint mobility project. At the end of the year, another (already third) networking trip of an ILK team to IIT Madras is being prepared, during which the newly opened liaison office of TU Dresden in Chennai will also be visited.

_{Background: Startup Exchange Initiative
The "Startup Exchange Initiative", TUD's outstanding internationalization project for technology transfer, is intended to set new standards for international cooperation in technological innovation. By providing the necessary tools, support and networks, the cooperation partners TUD|excite and the IIT Madras Research Park create ideal conditions for start-ups to find their way in global markets. In particular, the initiative aims to shape innovations and future technologies through cross-border cooperation and shared know-how - taking into account the different requirements of key international markets.}

_{Background: IIT Madras Research Park
The IIT Madras Research Park is one of India's oldest and most dynamic innovation centers. It supports more than 350 start-ups with an estimated total turnover of six billion dollars. This collaboration taps into a rich talent pool and entrepreneurial ecosystem.}

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