Kerala Signs MoUs With Norway, Finland and UK on Maritime Cluster, Flood Mitigation and Education

The two-week-long visit of the high-level delegation led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to reap rich dividends for the state. The agreements signed during the trip to European countries include investments in Kerala's industrial sector, maritime sector, fisheries and ocean policy, disaster management, mitigation, and employment opportunities.

With several organisations agreeing to cooperate, invest and provide technical support, the ambitious upcoming project of the state, Maritime Cluster at Kochi, has got a shot in the arm.

Kerala will host a Norwegian Investors meeting in January 2023 to discuss the possible investment sectors. The Norway-based companies have also agreed to expand operations in the state, which would help increase direct and indirect e employment.

Further, the Malayalee community in Norway has agreed to invest in the industrial sector in the state during the interaction with the delegation.

Agreements have been arrived upon by the Kerala Digital University with the universities in the United Kingdom (UK) for cooperation in graphene. The state will get the support of Finland for implementing reforms in the school education system.

THRUST ON MARITIME CLUSTER

The Maritime Cluster in Kochi, a vital project conceived by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, has been one of the focus areas of the trip led by the chief minister. The maritime cluster will house different maritime companies, including manufacturing, processing and logistics.

In 2019, the government of Kerala entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to invest Rs 3,500 crores in the Maritime Cluster. Several Norwegian companies have expressed their willingness to cooperate in developing the cluster.

The delegation met officials of premier companies, Asko Maritime, Marinor and Corvus Energy. Asko Maritime, an organisation specialised in zero-emission sea transport and sustainable logistics, has expressed willingness to cooperate with the project.

Marinor, known for zero-emission and hybrid maritime, offshore, subsea and port, has agreed to consider Kerala for setting up its manufacturing unit in India. The company will participate in the investor's meet in January 2023.

Corvus Energy, a global leader in zero-emission solutions for the maritime industry, is set to expand its operations in Kerala. The delegation visited the advanced battery manufacturing unit of the company, producing batteries for ships with low emissions.

SUPPORT IN FISHERIES AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The chief minister-led delegation met the Norwegian minister for fisheries and ocean policy during the visit. The country will support Kerala in implementing new projects in fisheries and aquaculture, along with providing support in establishing the Maritime cluster.

P Rajeev, the minister for industries and law, in a social media post, explained the possible cooperation in the fisheries industry. "There will be cooperation in fish farming and technology support to grow fish inside tunnels under the sea and using artificial intelligence for deep sea fishing," he wrote on his Facebook account.

The state has long benefitted from the project implemented in Neendakara of Kollam district in improving the fishing sector since 1953. The chief minister expressed the advancements made by the state in mechanised fishing after implementing the project.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, industries minister P Rajeev and minister for ports V Abdurrahiman, along with officials at the Norway Geotechnical Institute.

With Kerala facing threats of extreme weather events frequently, the state has roped in the Norway Geotechnical Institute for support. “The institute has expressed willingness to work on disaster management, tunnel construction and coastal erosion,” Rajeev added.

AGREEMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL SECTOR

The institutes in the UK and Finland will collaborate with their counterparts in the state on diverse aspects. The Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology (Digital University of Kerala) has entered into agreements with the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh to study graphene.

The state government has planned a graphite policy with more opportunities for research and development. The India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG) is to be established in the state to explore the possibilities in the new horizon.

With the state government deciding to set up a graphene-based industrial park, collaboration with different universities is expected to be fruitful. "Kerala wants to utilise the new technologies to carve a niche for a research-oriented atmosphere in the higher education system. The state is willing to build a graphene-based ecosystem," said Pinarayi Vijayan during the event held to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Finland has also agreed to work with the state in the higher and public education system. The country will extend support in pre-primary education and care, teacher exchange programs, and imparting science and math education and higher education.

State Council of Educational Research and Training, the State Institute of Educational Management and Training - Kerala, and the State Institute of Educational Technology will continue to talk with the academic institutes in Finland to implement the framework.

The government of Wales has agreed to recruit health workers from Kerala directly to the Welsh National Health Service (NHS). The health minister informed the Welsh parliament of the decision to recruit directly from Kerala to ensure a "direct route to qualified, high-quality students."