India and EU Launch Ideathon on Marine Plastic Litter under Trade and Technology Council Working Group 2

Today, the India-EU Ideathon on "Combating Marine Plastic Litter" was formally launched. The event was jointly organised by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to India, with the support of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council Working Group 2 on Green and Clean Energy Technologies.

The launch featured remarks by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA, and Ms. Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission.

Dr. Maini emphasised that the Ideathon is a collaborative effort to develop solutions that are both globally relevant and locally effective, reflecting the India-EU shared vision for tackling plastic pollution.

Ms. Ratso noted that the initiative strengthens EU-India cooperation on sustainability, bringing both regions together to address marine plastic pollution and its impacts on marine ecosystems, public health, and coastal economies.

Special remarks were delivered by Ms. Nienke Buisman, Head of the International Cooperation Unit at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, and Dr. Rakesh Kaur, Adviser, Office of the PSA. Both encouraged participants to actively contribute ideas and explore collaborative pathways for addressing marine plastic litter.

A landscape of marine plastic litter in India and the European Union was presented by Prof. Hoysala N. Chanakya, Chief Research Scientist, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Mr. John Hanus, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, respectively.

The presentations highlighted prevailing challenges and ongoing research initiatives in both regions and emphasised the importance of a coordinated and sustained action to address the issue.

Ideathon Challenges

During the event mentors from India and the European Union outlined three challenges:

1. identifying and tracking marine plastics to develop innovative approaches for detecting and monitoring their movement across coastal and ocean ecosystems,
2. developing technologies and scalable solutions to reduce plastic litter in marine and coastal environments, and
3. raising awareness and mobilising communities for the prevention of marine plastic pollution, highlighting the role of behavioural change and community-led action to stop plastic leakage into ecosystems.

In total, more than seventy five participants joined from across India and the European Union, representing officials, researchers, start-ups, businesses, and civil society organisations.

Their presence enriched the discussions and provided valuable perspectives on addressing marine plastic pollution.

More information

The Ideathon invites applications from start-ups, researchers, businesses and other stakeholders in India and the European Union to co-develop practical and innovative solutions to address marine plastic litter.

Applications for the Ideathon remain open until 2 October 2025. Interested participants may apply through the official website.

Contact us for further information