4th Lecture

Lighting the lamp at The Fourth D. R. Gadgil Memorial Lecture

The Fourth D. R. Gadgil Memorial Lecture was organized by MEDC on 12th February 2003 in conjunction with its 41st Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. Dr Arthur J. Carty, Eminent Scientist & President, National Research Council, Canada delivered the Lecture. The function was inaugurated by Shri SushilKumar Shinde, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Dr. Patangrao Kadam, Minister for Industries, Maharashtra, Shri Jayantrao Patil, Hon'ble Minister for Finance, Maharashtra and Shri Prakash Awade, Minister of State for Textiles, Maharashtra were also present at this occasion.

Shri Sushilkumar Shinde addressing the audience.

In his special address on the occasion, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, said that the Govt has formulated an action plan for Mumbai, Pune and for development of Vidarbha. However, he insisted, he would rather have a feel about the aspirations of industrialists, businessmen and technologists before taking such a step. Maharashtra, he said, is keen to have new technology, new services industries and especially have a sharper focus on the development of the IT industry.

Dr. Arthur Carty, delivering his lecture on “Technology Clusters”

In his Address, Dr. Carty said that in recent years, several of NRC's (National Research Centres) research institutes have become central hubs for dynamic technology clusters in diverse areas of science and engineering. Communities such as Montreal, Ottawa and Saskatoon have seen the tremendous growth that can occur when industry leaders and researchers come together to identify needs and develop solutions that touch the lives of people in their sphere of influence. Realizing the importance of investment in knowledge & human resources, the Govt of Canada, he said, has adopted the strategy of investment in innovation. “Technology clusters are primarily the growth of a significant concentration of innovative companies around a nucleus of R & D facilities, such as those provided by a university or a leading-edge government laboratory. These clusters have transformed the Canadian economy from a resource based one to a knowledge based economy. This Canadian collaborative approach in harnessing technology through clusters can also be replicated in key regions of Maharashtra - especially in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik. Advanced manufacturing clusters can be in Nashik and films and entertainment in Mumbai,” said Dr Arthur Carty.