The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser’s initiative, I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering Facilities Map), announced on Friday that it has worked to improve industries’ and startups’ access to research facilities and labs in an attempt to transform research collaboration for the first time in the Ladakh region.

I-STEM is a comprehensive aggregator that links scientists in India with publicly supported labs and scientific equipment.

I-STEM recently held its flagship event, “Samavesha,” at the University of Ladakh to increase scientific cooperation in the region and raise awareness of the I-STEM National Portal.

The Samavesha Project links academic institutions with the necessary equipment with businesses, researchers, and start-ups seeking to access cutting-edge scientific equipment.

Researchers, businesses, and startups will be spared the costly capital outlay required to acquire cutting-edge technology. This will avoid resource duplication in research institutes at the national level.

One million innovative researchers, full of ideas, will be seamlessly linked to a network of 10,000 state-of-the-art laboratories across India in the future, according to I-STEM’s vision. In addition to providing access to equipment, I-STEM seeks to foster a cooperative ecosystem in which startups, businesses, and academic institutions work together to jointly develop the next wave of innovation, said Dr. Harilal Bhaskar, I-STEM’s Chief Operating Officer and National Coordinator.

“I-STEM is excited for new researchers and institutions to sign up and take part in the event. Feedback from research laboratories and the general public is welcome during the event to help guide future choices about the I-STEM initiative, Bhaskar said.

The I-STEM site is one of the main government-funded aggregator platforms that is changing the R&D environment in India, and Bhaskar also described how it might be a game-changer for university researchers, entrepreneurs, and industries alike.