New agreement to build innovation bridge from India to WA

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 WA cluster for data science, artificial intelligence, and information technology innovation.

It 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, the Honourable Thiru Mano Thangaraj, and Western Australia’s Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, the Honourable Stephen Dawson.

Minister Dawson highlighted the benefits of the exciting collaboration in his keynote speech to the conference.

“The aim of the MOU 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.

iTNT Hub Chief Executive Officer Mr Vijay Anand said he was delighted to have the support of the 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 MOU 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 said.

“Our primary goal is working with entrepreneurs, innovators, an academic network of more than 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.”

Curtin-based WA Data Science Innovation Hub 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.

“Artificial intelligence 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 technology-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.”

WA Data Science Innovation Hub 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 clever minds from India’s most industrialised state to drive innovation across the Indian Ocean,” Ms Deng said.

“By cross-collaborating around innovation, we have the potential to create novel solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.”

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.

The WA Data Science Innovation Hub 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.

For more information about iTNT Hub, visit here.