EU, India join hands to find innovative solutions to combat marine pollution, work on hydrogen tech
The European Union and India have joined hands to find innovative research solutions to combat marine pollution and work on the development of waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies. The embassy of EU Delegation in India, in a statement on Friday, said the EU and India launched "two new significant research and innovation initiatives" under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC), with "a total investment of Euro 41 million (Rs 394 crore)".
These initiatives will drive collaborative solutions to pressing environmental challenges and foster cutting-edge technological advancements, it said.
"Coordinated under the EU's Horizon Europe programme and co-funded by Indian ministries (MoES and MNRE), the two research calls will bring together researchers, start-ups, and industries from the EU and India to develop sustainable, scalable solutions with global impact," the statement said.
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MoES and MNRE refer to Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Union government respectively.
The EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is a high-level strategic coordination platform aimed at strengthening the bilateral partnership on trade, technology, and innovation.
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"By strengthening the EU-India partnership, these initiatives operationalise the TTC's goals and reinforce the commitment to joint innovation," the EU Delegation in India.
The first call focuses on combating marine pollution, particularly the pervasive issue of marine plastic litter.
"Co-funded by the EU (Euro 12 million/about Rs 110 crore) and thee Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (Rs 90 crore/around Euro 9.3 million), this call seeks innovative solutions to monitor, assess, and mitigate the cumulative impacts of various pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants," the statement said.
The resulting research will contribute to global efforts, including the support of international commitments such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and contribute to the objectives of the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan and India's National Marine Litter Policy, it said.
"By driving collaborative research and innovation, this initiative aims to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development," the statement said.
This call builds on earlier momentum, including a workshop on e-vehicle charging standards held in February and a successful matchmaking initiative that connected Indian and EU start-ups with potential partners and investors, it added.
The second call focuses on the development of waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies.
"Hydrogen has emerged as a key area of collaboration between the EU and India, given its strategic role in driving the clean energy transition, enhancing energy security, and meeting long-term climate objectives.
"This call, co-funded by the EU (Euro 10 million/around Rs 97 crore) and India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (Rs 90 crore/around Euro 9.3 million), aims to develop efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly methods for hydrogen production," it said.
Both calls are open to European and Indian organisations, including companies, SMEs, start-ups, research institutions, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and individual researchers, the statement said.
The submission deadlines are September 2 for the hydrogen call and 17 September 17 for the marine pollution call, it said.
Additional joint research calls are envisaged for 2026, including on the recycling of batteries for electric vehicles and potential cooperation on wastewater treatment. Together, all these initiatives represent a joint investment of around Euro 60 million under the TTC framework, the statement said.
The decision to establish the EU-India TTC was jointly announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022.
The Council was formally launched in February 2023, and its first ministerial meeting took place in May 2023.
"As the EU's second TTC (after the EU-US TTC), this mechanism reflects the growing geopolitical and economic alignment between the EU and India. It aims to promote secure, sustainable, and inclusive economic development while safeguarding shared democratic values," the statement said.
The EU-India Research and Innovation (R&I) Cooperation is a longstanding and strategic partnership, anchored in the 2001 Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and renewed recently in 2020, it said.
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