When businesses deploy green technologies to reduce waste and save energy, production costs are controlled, thereby making the exercise more competitive and economies more prosperous
Many of the environment-friendly technologies that we use today have emerged from the drawing boards of highly capable and industrious research and development institutions. Technical universities and engineering research departments in institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology have always played a pivotal role in registering green technology breakthroughs. However, over the years, India’s prestigious educational and research institutions have been a subject of debate regarding the quality of scientific innovation and research. This is even more pronounced when it comes to inventions or green technologies that seek to protect and safeguard the environment.
But with a focussed and stable Government at the Centre now firmly in power, the green technology research and development scenario in India can be revolutionised.
The announcement of five more IITs by Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley in the recent Budget, may well be the stepping stone in this direction, and it can be leveraged to change the mediocre green technology research and development scenario in India. The IITs slated to come up in Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will be a major boost for the education sector in these States, but the Government needs to ensure that these institutions are established with a dedicated environmental research and innovation centres where green technologies that make a quantum impact on environmental protection are incubated and prepared for a viable and large-scale usage.
These specialised centres need to be independent with sufficient funding. The combined superlative technical excellence of the new IITs can help India keep pace with global advancements made in the arena of green technologies.
The Senseable City lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an apt example of how a successful green technologies research lab can be. The lab, specialising in energy efficient technologies has recently come up with a ground-breaking method of efficient heating wherein, instead heating the whole room, motion detecting spotlights pinpoint the occupants of a room whereby an assembly of infrared heat lamps incorporated in the ceiling activated by Wi-Fi proceed to provide heating to the specific individuals in the room, resulting in up to 90 per cent energy savings. The Senseable City lab is also credited with innovating high-tech bus stops, flying 3D displays and the GPS robot heads.
In order to achieve this degree of competence in green technology research and development, the Government needs to alter its perception regarding technological institutions as mere centres of advanced education or source of employment and instead view them as potential repositories of intellectual capital, capable of setting global benchmarks in innovation of green technologies.
This will not only ensure prominent visibility of the Indian technical excellence but will help facilitate profitable partnerships between the business world and the technical academy. The Government must also take a cue from developed countries across the world where the research department of an institution or university is as strong as the academic one. This balance helps build and strengthen the intellectual property of the institution and translate theoretical concepts into unique technologies that can be applied for the betterment and protection of environment.
However, the quality of research and innovation is very much dependent on the quantum of funding received by the university or institution from the Government. For instance, Johns Hopkins University in the United States gets close to two billion dollars of funding for its research, whereas the IITs in India share a pool of about $160 million. On the whole, the US spends $250 billion on research, whereas India spends around eight billion dollars.
Besides this, the US has a healthy tradition and culture of research that is encouraged by initiatives such as research parks, where ideas are exchanged and debated. This helps remove flaws and keeps the research relevant.
The Government needs to highlight the economic importance of green technologies as well. When businesses deploy green technologies to reduce waste and save energy, production costs are controlled, thereby making businesses more competitive and economies more prosperous. Globally the countries with high levels of economic development are also among the leaders in environmental protection. These countries have researched, innovated, developed and adapted green technologies into their daily life.
Green technologies have the potential to break the link between economic growth and environmental damage, besides being capable of delivering economic and social benefits with reduced environmental impacts. It is crucial that we develop green technologies through efficient research and development practices that can help us to manage resources more efficiently, to control pollution, and to create less resource-intensive products and services.