Nations Need World Knowledge Platform to Integrate the Core Competencies:

Dr. Kalam

President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has put forward a framework called ‘World Knowledge Platform’ while inaugurating the second conference on ‘India R&D 2006: Mind to Market’ here today. Dr. Kalam said this platform will integrate the core competencies of the partner countries to develop knowledge products and will enable joint design, development, cost effective production and marketing of the knowledge products in various domains. He said initially the mission of world knowledge platform is to connect and network the R&D institutions, universities and industries using fiber broadband from the partner nations on selected R&D missions. The President said that fiber optics connectivity across the world is only waiting to be lighted up, which will make the world borderless. He said mission of world knowledge platform will be to take up the mission in some of the following areas which are of utmost urgency to make our world a safe, sustainable and peaceful and prosperous to live in. Focusing on energy, agriculture and food processing he said the other areas are water, healthcare, knowledge products, automobile and traditional medicines.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Mr. Kapil Sibbal said that the 21st century will be a century where the mind and the market will function together not at the cost of each other, but for mutual benefit. Mr. Sibbal said that the enormities of our global challenges compel us to find solutions which are not just marketable, but affordable and accessible also to ordinary folk. Describing the journey from the mind to the market as exceptionally complex, he said that the biotech revolution is destined to use to its advantage the information technology revolution and the next generation revolution, through nanotechnology will provide us solutions to meet the challenges of 21st century. He said the global economy has ensured that the market too is global and this conference will dwell on the journey of the mind to make sure that all stakeholders develop understanding, create the necessary environment and build appropriate capacities to deliver to consumers in the market.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : December 04, 2006