Across the table Panel discussion series for #STIP2020.Today, 5th in the series is on #Financing #SciTechInnovation Panel- Akhilesh Jha, Dr. Shahid Jameel ,Prof. Jinusha Panigrahi & Swati Joshi Mods - @ChagunBasha @Sudhira Join- https://t.co/O5zSArvdDa #AskSTIP2020Finance
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@ChagunBasha - in terms of funding #STI has a unique relationship. The concern of inadequate funding - financing has many other faces apart from public funding. India needs to improve the status quo on S&T - the magic no. of 2% GDP but where is the money?
Akhilesh Jha- The switch between R&D & STI is too swift. GDP doesn't mean only govt. needs to contribute, everyone should too Whatever is done currently needs to be increased in manifold by taking STI financing seriously by all in the economy. Others need to contribute, ecosystem
..needs to be formed by the govt. Swati Joshi- Nature of financing that Innovation needs - patient capital, full spectrum of different nature of finance plans. How does the money get spent? Does it lead to market creation innovation? Drawing more value with the spending..
.. is important in current finances. 1- on addressing gap between lab & market? 2- Govt. can itself become R&D consumer, procurer very strategically. 3- Looking at regional systems-states & startups.States coming up with their policies. So states should look for STI financing
Industries should also contribute in financing STI. Higher education funding should be a good avenue for financing STI in current times. Smaller firms unable to access funding due to bureaucratic problems. Supportive ecosystem needs to be worked upon.
Shahid Jameel - 2% of GDP spending is good aspiration. But don't possibly have the capacity to absorb such a figure as researchers to population ration is very low in India. India is cited the least in top 10 countries despite being the 3rd highest producer of publications...
On knowledge you build translation upon which you build innovation - this pyramid needs to be understood well. To bring in private spending, should ask what value is being offered to private firms if they invest in STI financing. Researchers spend more time on writing grant..
..rather than doing research. After the grant comes in, managing the funds is another difficulty. Research funding management needs to develop to deal with such & other problems. @India_Alliance -fund the best researchers & let people explore,innovate & grow, visible impacts!
As @ChagunBasha puts words of Shahid & Swati together as the golden quote - public spending correlates to political economy & private spending correlates to value addition to the businesses.
@ChagunBasha -Amount of money spent with quality of research -is there any +ve correlation? Shahid Jameel - such correlation is only there when money is spent + selection & awarded transparently. If not, then as many diff. correlations are there! Prof. Jinusha -Diff. sources..
..of funding exist in different directions of research. Focussing on only 1 direction is not much beneficial -need to focus on every type of institutions like state universities, etc. Strengthening the current ecosystem needs the focus.Can help bringing talent from all places..
After the structure is built, then additional funding can be brought in. It also helps in increasing the quality of research too. Private funding integrated with Public funding is important for growth. India has to deal with indigenous growth too.
@Sudhira brings multiple Qs - leveraging companies financing CSR for science for maximising STI funding + getting multilateral investments through world bank, etc. Swati Joshi - Multilateral funding is tricky because of ownership of output. However, given #Covid times...
.. collabs are gaining prominence but focus still remains on grand challenges, major society problems, etc. Jinusha - existing ways for MNCs powering innovations needs to revamp. Shahid Jameel - Public Charities like @India_Alliance won't take any returns from research funded
..however industries won't have such motives. A lot of companies have R&D not doing much research, they can invest the money in universities/ national lab. Pick any big problem today, it needs to have multidisciplinary approach & teams and work together on problems.
India in some places may not be doing impactful research in certain areas but good industrial capacity in such areas is adding value in global chain. Eg. Covid vaccine development. Promoting such platforms will gain importance in coming days.India should start investing in these
@Sudhira raising the q. on timely disbursal of funding especially for student fellowships & scholarships. Akhilesh Jha - DST takes 75 mins for releasing funds after all completed formalities. Need to look into administrative processes 2 new developments - service+ ,umang..
..are apps by govt. to lodge requests & grievances. Target - to have run time basis for tracking progress about scholarships,fellowships by the end of the year. On answering a previous Q - we try to do a lot of R&D without doing science, without having infrastructure...
In political economy there is political will and that is translated through finance commission's reports - they have given enough stress on applying technology, innovations & states don't improve, it doesn't work. Hardly spending on infrastructure is an impediment for R&D growth
@ChagunBasha -financing STI equates only to financing R&D whereas it just forms one part of it whereas there are many other parts too for financing in developing STI. Looking at new plans like National Research Foundation, 1 platform for all STI funding -a paradigm shift coming?
Akhilesh Jha- R&D is not only in SciTech but also other ministries & dept. So a component of STI budget in every ministries & dept. Also, existence of Sci Temper in Constitution not enough, should be there in Directive principles of State. Shift change will happen but needs..
.. all these changes to effect especially to have an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Shahid Jameel - having an Research Management Ecosystem will solve a lot of problems- mandating such centres in each institute/uni. will be effective in increasing level of research in such places...
.. The people who know science, can effectively help manage science. Etching a career path for such professionals on research management is imperative, similar to growth of faculties. We are on right track just need to hurry to get things done. Akhilesh Jha- A single window...
.. should exist for all different kind of opportunities available with online processing so that scientists, researchers, students are steered to right opportunity & institutions. Prof. Jinusha - Integration of projects with grassroots demands, & duplication of funds need to...
..be looked into. Students development as well as faculty development is important for overall growth because if one doesn't help other the system gets setback. Eg. knowing about funding & scheme. @ChagunBasha on the Q. of funding correlation with quality human resource in R&D
Shahid Jameel- Understanding the gap between employability & students joining job market out of college is important. Two critical things are missing in our system - communication & critical applications. Public- private system can come into picture - finishing schools in...
.. public institutions funded by private entities. Jinusha - These are due to the existent structural problems which can be solved at institutional levels in higher education. @Sudhira -Role of social enterprises in bridging the gaps in educational space
Swati Joshi - Higher education is fairly divorced from Research in India - a structural issue. This trickles to the debate of dearth of critical skills - here social enterprises can fill in. This needs to be worked upon so that the gap is reduced.
@Sudhira brings the Q. on spending by state in STI ecosystem. Swati Joshi - In the universities/institutions it's very low and state even if it funds, the missing structure is that research in such places is very low. Career progression for a researcher happens in public R&D lab
@Sudhira on the missing coherence between research labs & education institutes and research labs taking up industry projects to generate their own revenue. Akhilesh Jha- States in post GST era have very less money left with them. The q. of public R&D labs being in line with...
.. the demand of the political economy & real economy of our times. When disconnected, the need to pitch in arises where govt cannot spend the money. The connect between, R&D, Industry & economy would be important for effective change in the future.
Swati Joshi - Research Labs take long term research, Industry needs short term research for quicker translation -this is a gap which needs to be addressed. It will be helpful to have R&D Industry move together towards greater goals like SDGs, Climate change,etc. - gets incentives
Shahid Jameel - When national labs were set up, they were to focus on national missions which continues to present day. This worked for medium term benefits at most, in hindsight of 2020, realizing it's not for long term. R&D got into silos of labs & University's abilities of...
..research went down significantly. Trickled to faculties in Universities not being up to date resulting in inability to impart cutting edge knowledge to students. R&D labs in turn don't have access to talent pool of universities.Clusters of both can be made in current times...
@ChagunBasha - is there a way to have a overview on funding pattern and who decides the priority of where the money goes in STI spending? Akhilesh Jha- The scientific dept. , the programme division decide. The way the cases are presented to support such divisions & missions..
.. should have effective planning & execution in accordance to the capacities. Next q. - How other sources outside the public money decide to spend in STI? Shahid Jameel -Public Money is what will actually create the capacity. Philanthropy, private money have their priorities
.. they can spend on developed capacities. Their money also supports the infrastructure and further building more capacity. Importance on addressing challenges - start from the basic to translate to solutions in market. Will help to build capacity in any case.
In some places, research done today will support innovation done in future. On Funding through a regional (states) ecosystem - Swati Joshi- Individual (Bureaucrat) dependent funding in states. SciTech councils in few states are very active, they also work on these aspects....
Differences also exist in regional levels, some states have clusters developed differently like around cities e.g. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune. However, one common platform is needed to bring all regional,national level together - it's still in silos which needs to be done away
@Sudhira on closing remarks from the panelists - One thing in financing STI which can be addressed by #STIP2020 Shahid Jameel - More money in Research Ecosystem, developing research management systems and for researchers to start addressing key challenges of the society.
Akhilesh Jha- Having ministries & depts have STI funding component in their key prog. & missions. Invest sufficient amount to create an environment & market to utilise our resources optimally. Dr. Jinusha- Removal of structural rigidities; inclusive funding; strong volunteering
Swati Joshi- One single platform for all the schemes available in STI finance; post Covid policies have become agile and so does funding have to become agile. That wraps up the panel discussion on #AskSTIP2020Finance moderated by @Sudhira & @ChagunBasha @spf_in @IndiaDST
