India And Norway Deepen Strategic Science & Innovation Partnership Through New Bilateral Agreements.

Spread the love

New Delhi, Delhi, 19th of May, 2026 : As India and Norway deepen bilateral engagement during the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Norway, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), GoI signed a series of important agreements with leading Norwegian research, academic and industrial organizations in Oslo on 18 May 2026 to strengthen cooperation in science, technology, innovation and sustainable development.

The agreements were signed by DSIR/CSIR under the leadership of Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, together with senior representatives of the partnering Norwegian institutions. The collaborations aim to expand India–Norway linkages in research, innovation and technology development while promoting institutional partnerships, startup and industry engagement, academic cooperation and sustainable growth initiatives in both countries.

The Memorandum of Understanding between DSIR/CSIR and the Research Council of Norway (RCN) seeks to promote cooperation in research, technology development, innovation and capacity building. The agreement envisages joint workshops, collaborative R&D projects, exchange visits of scientists and researchers, programme-specific implementation arrangements and periodic review mechanisms in areas related to global challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals, including climate, clean energy, oceans and health.

CSIR also signed a Collaboration Agreement (2026–2029) with Stiftelsen SINTEF (SINTEF), Norway’s premier independent research organization, under the framework of the existing 2014 MoU between the two institutions. The collaboration focuses on circularity and sustainability transition through joint research and innovation programmes in areas such as bio-based processes and materials, innovation hubs, ocean energy, including offshore wind and hybrid systems, carbon capture, storage and utilization, and waste valorization.

A Project Specific Collaboration Agreement was further signed between CSIR institutes and SINTEF institutions on Ocean Energy and Offshore Wind Energy. The agreement involves CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC), CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) and CSIR-Fourth Paradigm Institute (CSIR-4PI), along with SINTEF Ocean, SINTEF Digital, FME NorthWind and SINTEF Community. The collaboration aims to strengthen India’s capacity in offshore renewable energy technologies and contribute to national renewable energy and carbon neutrality goals. The joint programme will focus on floating offshore wind technologies, reducing Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), sustainability and ESG considerations, standardization, pilot demonstrations, skill development and industrial growth. The CSIR funding support for the project is approximately ₹341 lakhs.

A Joint Declaration of Intent titled “Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation for the Green Shift” was also signed between CSIR, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The declaration focuses on sustainability, circular economy, ocean science and technology, healthcare, and civil and infrastructure engineering technologies. The cooperation envisages student and faculty mobility, joint research activities, academic exchanges, seminars and collaborative academic programmes.

In another significant development, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with Emerald Geomodelling to establish scientific and business collaboration for geoscience-based solutions for large infrastructure projects in India. The collaboration will include joint R&D projects, geophysical survey planning, data analysis and modelling, technical advisory support and organization of scientific events and training programmes.

These agreements mark an important milestone in India–Norway cooperation in science, technology and innovation and are expected to further strengthen collaborative research, innovation-led sustainable development and long-term institutional partnerships between the two countries.