K'taka Govt signs MoU with Flanders Govt in Belgium

Bangalore, Dec 22 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has inked a pact with the Government of Flanders, Belgium, for R and D cooperation in three areas, including development of joint intellectual property by the IMEC and the Indian Institute of Science in semiconductor industry, Karnataka Planning Board Deputy Chairman A Ravindra, who headed a delegation to Belgium, said today.

Talking to reporters here, he said the MoU also included development of cooperation in Digital Signal Processing sector and establishment of cooperation in biotech sector.

Dr Ravindra said the State had taken part in the third World Creativity Forum, pioneered by Flanders for bringing together regions of excellence from across the world, with a 14-member delegation, chosen from Government departments, knowledge centre and companies. As many as 1,200 participants attended the forum from ten different regions last month.

He said the Districts of Creativity Network, founded in February 2004 in Leuven during the first international forum, comprised ten regions -- Shanghai (China), Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany), Catalonia (Spain), Karnataka (India), Lombardy (Italy), Nord-Pas de Calais (France), Quebec (Canada), Scotland (UK), Maryland (US) and Flanders (Belgium).

Dr Ravindra said these regions have agreed to jointly undertake to foster exchange of experiences and enhance cross-fertilisation with regard to the development of a creative economy as the driving force for competitiveness and wealth creation, besides encouraging bilateral and multilateral actions aimed at exploring business development opportunities with partners from companies, knowledge centres and Governments of the participating regions.

Two new regions from France and China were admitted as associate members of the Districts of Creativity Network in the last meeting, he said, adding that the next meeting in 2007 would be held in China.

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