Pune: In a bid to promote research and innovation in state educational institutions, the state government on Friday constituted the ‘Maharashtra State Credible Research and Innovation Task Force’ which will serve as a platform for research professors from all state universities to come together and conduct research in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, renewable energy and green technology while taking industrial companies along with them.

The ‘Maharashtra State Credible Research and Innovation Task Force’ will have to submit a report to the state government on the current status of research in state universities in the next three months. The tenure of the task force will be one year. The research and innovation task force includes professor Suresh Gosavi, vice-chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University; professor V L Maheshwari, vice-chancellor of Kaviyatri Bahinabai Chaudhary North Maharashtra University; professor Sudhir Agashe, vice-chancellor of COEP Technological University; Sanjay Dhole, director of Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Enterprise of Savitribai Phule Pune University; Dr Rajesh Joglekar of the Incubation Centre of Jalgaon University; and Dr N B Dhoke, head of the COEP Incubation Centre.

While Dhole is the convenor of the task force which will act as an apex body for quality research in all disciplines, monitoring, guidance, promotion and capacity building, and promoting research activities in state universities by making comprehensive policies. The group will develop a mechanism to effectively track research and innovation activities in the state. It will consider necessary measures to improve the quality of research and create a comprehensive framework for conducting research as well as collaborating with national and international institutions.

Dhole said, “The Maharashtra State Credible Research and Innovation Task Force has been established by the state government, and research and innovation activities will be promoted through this group. Areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, renewable energy and green technology have been selected for this. Through this group, all the researchers will be brought together on one platform. Also, cooperation agreements will be signed with industrial companies in the future.”

Whereas a ‘Research and Innovation Hub’ will be set up on a pilot basis. The task force will assess the current state of research in the state to initiate the process of establishing this hub. A sub-topic of research will be selected and researchers conducting research on this sub-topic will be selected from the participating universities. Information from experts in the chosen subject as well as international universities conducting research on the subject will be gathered. The lead researcher will organise initial meetings with potential partners along with subject matter experts and researchers from international universities.