A 45-million Pound partnership between Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Wellcome Trust, UK has been announced to support the development of innovative healthcare products at affordable costs. This was done at a meeting between Union minister for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan and visiting UK minister of state for Universities and Science David Willets here on Thursday.

The DBT-Wellcome Trust Initiative is the next phase of initiative announced two years ago wherein prestigious fellowships supporting the most promising researches were started in the Wellcome Trust-DBT alliance. Now the partnership, wherein DBT and the Wellcome Trust are contributing 22.5 million pounds each, would result in translation to projects for societal benefits. The aim is to bring together researchers from both public and private sector, largely working in India, to develop innovative devices, diagnostic medicines and vaccines that can reach the greatest number of beneficiaries at affordable cost. The focus would be on vaccines, technologies for rehabilitation and women and child care, Chavan said. "Affordable health is top priority for the government and use of high technology for low cost new devices would be encouraged on priority," he said.

The DST and the Research Council UK have also agreed to invest three million pounds each, towards fuel cell research. The propose initiative will address systems research programmes in fuel cell technologies including energy support through joint India-UK academic programmes. The aim of the other initiative. "Bridging the Rural and Urban Divide" is to provide technological solutions for making rural living an economically and technologically sustainable option.