UFV awarded $520,000 to advance Canada–India innovation partnerships

The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) has been awarded $520,000 through the Government of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians (IPSFC) program to strengthen research partnerships between Canada and India in agricultural technology and clean technology innovation.

The funding, announced as part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s official visit to India, will support Canadian postdoctoral fellows and faculty researchers conducting field-based research in India over the next two years.

The project is led by Dr. Jon Thomas, Director of the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (EFCIE) and BC Regional Innovation Chair in Canada–India Partnership Development.

For Thomas, the grant builds on nearly a decade of sustained collaboration with leading Indian institutions — including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras — and reflects a growing recognition of the importance of deeper, on-the-ground research engagement in one of the world’s fastest-evolving innovation ecosystems.

Moving beyond secondary data

India’s economy — now one of the largest in the Indo-Pacific region — is undergoing rapid transformation in sectors that matter deeply to both countries: food systems, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, hydrogen fuel technologies, and climate-responsive innovation.

“India’s agtech and cleantech ecosystems are evolving at extraordinary speed,” says Thomas. “Yet much of what we understand in Canada is based on secondary reports or high-level summaries. If we want to engage meaningfully, we need field-based insight — direct conversations with researchers, startups, policymakers, and industry leaders.”

Through the IPSFC funding, UFV will support at least two postdoctoral fellows and two faculty research fellows who will travel to India to map innovation ecosystems, conduct interviews, analyze sector trends, and generate policy briefs and research publications that inform Canadian stakeholders.

Participants will work closely with partners at IIT Madras — consistently ranked among India’s top research institutions — whose strengths in engineering, hydrogen fuel research, and technology commercialization align with the project’s focus areas.

Two research streams: agtech and cleantech

The project is structured around two interconnected research streams:

Agtech innovation ecosystems in India, with a focus on how agricultural technologies are being developed, scaled, and adopted within India’s diverse regional contexts.

Cleantech innovation ecosystems, including hydrogen fuel systems and emerging sustainable energy technologies that are reshaping transportation and industrial sectors.

Researchers will conduct field visits, stakeholder interviews, ecosystem mapping, and sector analysis. Their findings will be disseminated through white papers, policy briefs, workshops in Canada and India, and a capstone Canada–India innovation forum hosted at UFV.

By the project’s conclusion in 2028, the initiative is expected to support more than 10 Canadian researcher visits to India, multiple research presentations in both countries, and several peer-reviewed and policy-oriented publications.

Building durable academic bridges

Thomas, who serves as BC Regional Innovation Chair in Canada–India Partnership Development, sees the initiative as part of a longer arc of relationship building between Canadian and Indian academic communities.

“Strong people-to-people academic relationships endure beyond political cycles,” he says. “Our goal is to build durable institutional linkages that support long-term collaboration. When Canadian scholars develop a nuanced understanding of how innovation systems function in India, it strengthens our capacity at home — in industry, in policy development, and in research.”

The project will also contribute to talent development by providing Canadian postdoctoral fellows and researchers with immersive international experience in one of the Indo-Pacific region’s most dynamic economies.

A regional university with global reach

For UFV President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. James Mandigo, the grant reflects the university’s evolving role in connecting regional expertise to global opportunity.

“This investment reflects the depth of the relationships UFV has developed in India over many years,” says Mandigo. “Through applied research and meaningful academic exchange, we are strengthening Canada–India collaboration in areas that matter to both countries. Initiatives like this demonstrate how a regional university can contribute to global innovation while creating tangible opportunities for Canadian scholars.”

The Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians program supports Canadian graduate students, academics, and researchers undertaking study and research aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

For UFV, the funding signals not just participation in a national initiative, but a continued commitment to building thoughtful, research-driven partnerships that advance innovation in both Canada and India.

Related federal announcements:

Joint statement by Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Modi

Fact sheet: Deliverables announced during the Prime Minister’s visit

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For media inquiries:
Stacy Kirpichova, MA
Acting Director, UFV Communications