- Boeing and IISc celebrate 15 years of their industry-academia innovation partnership; nurturing STEM talent for the Indian aerospace and defence ecosystem
- Through this partnership, the Aerospace Network Research Consortium (ANRC) has produced 75 research papers as the country’s first public-private aerospace research consortium
Bengaluru, India, October 17, 2022 – Boeing India and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, India’s premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education, today commemorated 15 years of partnership in fueling aerospace research and innovation, in India, for India, and for the world.
This partnership began in 2007 with IISc as a strategic university engagement partner for Boeing, for driving early stage research in aerospace materials and structures technologies. In 2009, Boeing, IISc, Wipro technologies Ltd., and HCL Technologies Ltd., launched ANRC, the country’s first public-private aerospace research consortium. ANRC India continues to develop technologies across airspace communication networks, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence areas. The research finds direct application in aerospace technology – and is helping improve passenger experience, increasing data connectivity within the aircraft, and preventing aircraft delays.
“Over the past decade, our collaboration with Boeing, Wipro and HCL Technologies through ANRC has spawned crucial technological advances, particularly in advanced manufacturing, airspace communication, and more recently in emerging areas such as IoT, AI and ML,” said Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc. “We are excited about extending this long-standing and successful academia-industry partnership, which will continue to foster vital R&D and technology translation in the aerospace and related sectors.”
In addition to ANRC, Boeing has delivered multiple projects and technology transitions along with IISc over the years in alloy design, advanced manufacturing processes, additive manufacturing, composites materials and coatings – all of which contribute to the performance, cost effectiveness, and improved safety of aircrafts. This has also led to the training of numerous IISc students and research staff, nurturing STEM talent to help drive critical inventions in India.
“With IISc, we are able to leverage the knowledge of leading scientists and researchers and integrate those capabilities into the products and solutions we offer to our customers. Likewise, the R&D work we do at our engineering and technology center enables the IISc faculty and students to leverage best global and local technology practices in aerospace. The association will continue to play a pivotal role in promoting innovation at the interface of university and industry,” said Ahmed Elsherbini, managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India.
IISc is also one of the key partner incubators of Boeing University Innovation Leadership and Development (BUILD) program, along with IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Madras, T-Hub Hyderabad, and KIIT Bhubaneshwar. BUILD is currently inviting applications for innovative startup ideas from 2022 graduates and early stage entrepreneurs in India.
