Addressing the CII - Honda Symposium on linking Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mr. Kisaburo Tokai, MP of Japan, Chairman, Research Commission to promote Research and establish a Nation of Innovative Science and Technology, LDP said that in recent years, national policies on innovation are prevailing in OECD and BRIC countries which include India and China to shift to becoming knowledge driven economies in this fast changing global scenario. Last March a cabinet meeting approved the third term Basic Plan for Science and Technology aiming at achieving sustainable development through environmentally compatible growth of a economy and to stand as 'Innovator Japan' to leverage the power of Innovation for more robust economy and industry. Japan is working on long term economic strategy called 'Innovation 25' he said. A year ago Japan has created a 25 trillion yen budget proposal for the third basic plan despite Government's tight fiscal circumstances he mentioned.

It is getting harder and harder to bring about innovation or secure quality manpower within the framework of one's own country in this era of globalisation Mr. Tokai said.

Impressed with India's quality human capital Mr. Tokai felt that India has sustainable future, however Japan and India have long been historically and geopolitically distant. The two countries need to work together for deeper, wider connections at various levels in Government Industry and Institution he said.

Sustainable development may not be possible without environmentally compatible economic expansion of Asia which calls for greater cross border collaborations in particular fields of Industry technology towards ecotechnological solutions for environment, energy and resource issues. In this connection India and Japan need to work closely for the prosperity of entire Asia, Mr. Tokai remarked.

In his special address Mr. Tomohiko Kawanabe, Senior Managing Director & COO Fundamental Technology Research Center, Honda R&D Co. Ltd, highlighted that Technology need to harmonize with the aspirations of people, creation of CVCC engines in 1972 was great milestone in the history of Honda to address the issue of pollution due to high emission of motor vehicles. Today Honda has achieved near zero emission, he said. Sustainibility is a major issue in 21st century and addressing this is a challenge facing the world today, we need to address the need for ecotechnology, he said.

Earlier delivering the welcome address Dr. Arun Jaura, Senior Vice President - Engineering & R&D, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Chairman - CII Task Force on Technology said that value addition is all about technological change, innovation and doing new things in a newer ways for commercial advantage. He referred to the importance of Technology and Innovation in creation of world class enterprises. In his address he said that with global energy crisis the Honda experience on Technology Management is unique.
Technology plays a leading role in innovation and entrepreneurship, Innovation is better way to deliver value to the customers he opined. He also mentioned that there is an urgent need for more emphasis on exploring and testing new business models. Technology and Innovation are the engines for integral development process for the society as a whole. CII aims to create a technology and IPR movement leading to successful integration of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship development he said

Mr. Pavan Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Honda Motors Ltd. and Past Chairman CII - National Committee on Technology & Innovation said that it is indeed amazing to see how technology , innovation and entrepreneurship is getting linked all over the world. Today technology, innovation and entrepreneurship plays fundamental role in creation of wealth and economic development which in turn lead to improvement of quality of life, he said.
CII - Honda symposium is an attempt at showcasing to Indian corporates the successful case studies of Honda with respect to successful integration of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Symposium is meant to discuss and deliberate on the policy perspective, on the usage of technology and innovation to drive enterprises in the globalised world, he said.

Market and economy is changing fast and there is a continued pressure to innovate products and process ahead of competition, India is truly an innovation led economy he opined.

In his address on technology management in private enterprise, while sharing Honda experience Prof Saburo Kobayashi, Visiting Professor, Graduate School Hitosubashi University and Ex Executive Chief Engineer, said that Honda R&D is not just to research and develop technology but to research people and people value.

Mr. Anjan Das, Head Technology Division, CII while delivering the concluding remarks said that CII in partnership with Ministry of Science and Technology has been triggering innovation in youth. CII is coming out with Innovation Index for manufacturing industry to measure and encourage innovation.

International Foundation for Invention Promotion steered by Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII) with a membership of around 35 countries is organizing every year International Exhibition for Young Inventors (IEYI). This year India is hosting this exhibition coinciding with IETF, he said.

The symposium specially demonstrated Honda technologies like Fuel Cell Car (FCX) - a crash tested certified passenger vehicle; Honda Jet - the first aircraft developed to be made available to the aviation market; Solar cell - that requires 50% less energy than conventional silicon solar Cell; Bio fuel - ethanol from plant waste matter and ASIMO - advance humanoid robot which duplicate the complexities of Human motion.

New Delhi
14 February,2007