The 21st edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit 2018, organised by the Department of IT & BT, Government of Karnataka, kickstarted in Bangalore attracting national and international representation from biotech, pharma, research institutes and allied industries. The theme of the event was “Innovation and Impact” and the summit acted as a strategic platform for a dialogue on latest technological innovations and their impact on business and our daily lives. Amongst the prominent attendees were Mrs. Anne-Mari Virolainen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Trade Mr. Juha Markkanen, Trade Ambassador, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Shri K.J. George, Hon’ble Government of Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, incl. Sugar, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.Helsinki Business Hub, the regional development agency for Helsinki, also was in attendance to help interested Indian firms accelerate and establish their business in Finland.

Day 3 of the summit hosted ‘Digital Finland session’ that focused on the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications on education, agriculture and healthcare.

Mr. Kabilan T, Head of R&D Nokia, Bangalore, delivered a speech on Nokia’s efforts into ‘Drone Networks’ and the usage of aerial insights in Machine Learning. The second session, Talent Boost, was aimed at connecting Finnish companies with Indian skilled talent looking to work in Finland. Mr. JuhaMarkkanen, Trade Ambassador, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, gave the opening speech, followed by a panel discussion on “Finnish Industry View” that gave an insider’s perspective into the Finnish business ecosystem.

Ministers George and Virolainenalso signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Bangalore, strengthening the innovation cooperation between Karnataka and Finland. The MoU supports concrete innovation cooperation, known as Finland –Karnataka Innovation Corridor, betweenscience and research actors, start-ups, industry companies, incubators and authorities. The innovation collaboration was launched in 2017 and the new MoU covers a five-year period of collaboration and serves as a platform for all actors interested in innovation collaboration on Finland-Karnataka axis.

Speaking on the summit and the opportunities available in Helsinki, Finland, Nisha Yadav, Talent Advisor, Helsinki Business Hub said, “Bengaluru Tech Summit is a great platform for ideas to be exchanged and opportunities, discovered. Helsinki is booming with opportunities in Heathtech, Smart city, ICT, Artificial Intelligence, etc.

Considering the balance of legislative support and structural and technological advancements, Helsinki has the potential for being the starting point for Indian technology companies’ expansion in the European sphere. Helsinki Business Hub offers Indian companies end-to-end solutions right from finding the right investors, to piloting opportunities and aiding access to innovation platforms.”

Karnataka has gained the reputation of Knowledge and Biotech capital of India due to the strides made in technology innovation and initiatives undertaken. The state is the 4th largest technology cluster and is globally renowned for its R&D pool and educational institutes. Karnataka contributes to over 1/3rd of the biotech exports and hosts over 50% Biotech companies in the country.