PI-RAHI hosts an Inspiring Lecture by Prof. Lars Montelius

Chandigarh, 28th January 2025: The Panjab University-IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation (PI-RAHI), in collaboration with CIL/SAIF, Panjab University, today organised an enlightening lecture titled "Science in Our Time – For People, Planet, and Prosperity" at the Seminar Hall, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Prof. Lars Montelius, who is a Professor Emeritus at Lund University, Sweden, and the former Director-General of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal, captivated the audience with his visionary insights. His lecture explored the impact of mega-trends like IoT, AI, Big Data, and social media on society while addressing pressing global challenges, including the need for robust supply chains, a green transition, and geopolitical shifts. 

Speaking at the event, Prof. Montelius highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to address global challenges. He emphasised Covid- 19 pandemics painfully made us aware of the necessity of robust supply chains and today we witness the resulting increased demand for national manufacturing capabilities of critical products. In addition, there is a worldwide increased political instability. Consequently, the global geo-political landscape is rapidly changing. But even larger, and a necessity for a sustained and prosperous life at our planet Earth, is the absolute requirement for a green transition to be able to become a sustainable society. Prof. Montelius advocated for interdisciplinary innovation and closer collaboration among academia, industry, and society to advance science and technology. He gave insights into leveraging science and technology to create a sustainable and prosperous future. 

The session witnessed enthusiastic participation from faculty, research scholars and students from various departments from Panjab University and Institues from tricity. The event underscored PI-RAHI’s mission to drive impactful innovations by bringing together academia, industry, and government stakeholders in the Northern Region of India.

PI-RAHI is a Northern Region Science and Technology Cluster aimed at fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), Government of India, PI-RAHI brings together stakeholders to address regional and global challenges through science and technology.