STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor provider for electronics applications, today announced a key alliance with India’s National Innovation Foundation (NIF) under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to support technological innovation in remote areas of India and create a marketplace for the result of that innovation.
As per the release making the announcement, the relationship with ST will help NIF and other network members convert technological inventions conceived within the ‘Honey Bee’ network of like-minded individuals, innovators, farmers, scholars, academicians, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and NGOs, into the mainstream business.
Honey Bee collects ideas from all over India through a drive called ShodhYatra (“search trip”) and brings rural innovation to light to help mankind, besides mobilizing ideas of technology students from hundreds of colleges across India through techpedia.in.
Through this unique relationship, NIF will emphasise complete product development, while ST will validate and develop electronic solutions for some of the innovative ideas and convert them into value-added technologies/products that can potentially make a difference to the masses.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Anil Gupta, Founder and Executive Vice Chairperson – NIF, said, “One of the challenges ahead of us is to democratise design thinking and innovation to generate interesting electronics applications from the grassroots levels and make them marketable.
“Our effort with the National Innovation Foundation is in line with ST’s culture of community-spiritedness – equipping local communities with the skills required to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy. This gives us a great opportunity to support and incubate grassroots innovations with a focus on encouraging future-oriented, trend-spotting electronics designs that, ideally, serve the nation and world at large,” said Vivek Sharma, Regional Vice President – Greater China and South Asia Region – India Operations, Director India Design Centres – STMicroelectronics.