THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, MAY 19, 2026

India and Norway have significantly strengthened their strategic partnership in science, technology and innovation with the signing of a series of landmark bilateral agreements in Oslo on 18 May 2026, marking a major step forward in advancing collaborative research and sustainable development goals during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Norway.

The agreements were formalised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, under the leadership of Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, in collaboration with leading Norwegian research, academic and industry institutions. The initiatives aim to deepen India–Norway cooperation across research, innovation ecosystems, technology development, and sustainable growth, while fostering stronger institutional linkages, startup engagement, and academic exchange.

A key highlight of the engagements is the Memorandum of Understanding between DSIR/CSIR and the Research Council of Norway, which sets the framework for cooperation in research, innovation, capacity building and technology development. The partnership envisions joint workshops, collaborative R&D projects, researcher exchanges, and structured implementation mechanisms in critical global challenge areas including climate action, clean energy transition, ocean science, and healthcare, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Further strengthening the collaboration, CSIR signed a comprehensive Cooperation Agreement (2026–2029) with SINTEF, Norway’s premier independent research organisation. Building on an existing 2014 framework, the renewed partnership focuses on circular economy solutions and sustainability transitions, including bio-based materials, innovation hubs, offshore and hybrid ocean energy systems, carbon capture, storage and utilisation, and advanced waste valorisation technologies.

In a major technical advancement, a dedicated project agreement on ocean energy and offshore wind was also concluded between multiple CSIR institutes — including CSIR-SERC, CSIR-NAL, CSIR-NIO and CSIR-4PI — and SINTEF entities such as SINTEF Ocean, SINTEF Digital, FME NorthWind and SINTEF Community. The collaboration aims to enhance India’s capabilities in floating offshore wind technologies, reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy, and accelerate pilot demonstrations, standardisation, ESG integration, and skill development. The project carries CSIR funding support of approximately ₹341 lakhs.

Adding a strong academic dimension, a Joint Declaration of Intent titled “Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation for the Green Shift” was signed between CSIR, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The initiative will promote student and faculty mobility, joint research programmes, academic exchanges, seminars, and collaborative educational frameworks across priority areas such as sustainability, circular economy, ocean technology, healthcare, and infrastructure engineering.

In another significant development, CSIR–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) entered into a five-year MoU with Emerald Geomodelling to advance geoscience-based solutions for large-scale infrastructure projects in India. The partnership will focus on geophysical surveys, data modelling, joint R&D initiatives, technical advisory services, and capacity-building programmes through scientific events and training.

Together, these agreements represent a defining milestone in India–Norway relations, reinforcing a shared commitment to innovation-led sustainable development, green transition technologies, and long-term institutional collaboration between the two nations.