India 9th october 2025: A groundbreaking partnership between Imperial College London, the UK’s top university, and Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) a leading hub for innovation, research, and public engagement is set to drive the exchange of talent and knowledge between the UK, India, and the wider world. The collaboration will see the development of new research facilities, a joint fellowship programme, and public engagement initiatives that strengthen global scientific collaboration.
The announcement was made as Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, joined a UK delegation led by the British Prime Minister on his first official visit to India, alongside Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru.
Through this new partnership, Imperial and SGB will co-develop state-of-the-art open research facilities at the Bengaluru site, launch a reciprocal Fellowship programme to nurture talent exchange between the UK and India, and explore collaborations in research, education, and public engagement. The partnership aims to cultivate the next generation of scientists, innovators, and changemakers.
The alliance reflects a shared commitment to expanding the international reach of SGB’s Public Lab Complex and co-developing a new portfolio of initiatives spanning innovation challenges, science and technology fellowships, and community-engaged research.
This collaboration also creates a powerful knowledge bridge between London’s WestTech innovation ecosystem—home to over 1,000 frontier innovation businesses with a combined turnover of £9 billion in 2023—and Bengaluru, which hosts more than 400 industrial R&D units. Fellows will gain exposure to two of the world’s most dynamic innovation environments.
Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said:
“This exciting partnership is a launchpad for UK-India innovation and scientific collaboration. Imperial’s innovation and incubation expertise will create a unique lab and convening space with Science Gallery Bengaluru where cutting-edge solutions to global issues will be discovered, designed, and delivered.
Our participation in the Prime Minister’s first India visit signals the role Imperial plays in strengthening UK-India partnerships, following the launch of our Imperial Global India hub earlier this year. Together, we are building bridges that will empower the next generation of scientists, thinkers, and changemakers.”
Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director, Science Gallery Bengaluru, said:
“We are delighted to partner with Imperial College London to co-develop our Public Lab Complex. This is an important step in creating shared spaces where inquiry, creativity, and learning thrive across borders.
Together, we want to drive locally rooted and globally relevant innovation through community-engaged science that encourages diverse perspectives. This will equip the next generation of innovators to translate research into real-world applications and help solve shared global challenges.”
The Public Lab Complex at Science Gallery Bengaluru is currently supported by Tata Trusts, TTK Prestige, and the Samagata Foundation.
The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Amanda Wolthuizen, Vice-President (Strategic Engagement) at Imperial, and Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director of SGB.
Amanda Wolthuizen, Vice-President (Strategic Engagement), Imperial College London, said:
“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Science Gallery Bengaluru following the launch of Imperial Global India earlier this year. This initiative brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, policymakers, and educators, reflecting our commitment to co-creating impactful partnerships within India’s dynamic science and technology ecosystem.
With this collaboration in Bengaluru, we are moving forward in our ambition to foster meaningful two-way exchanges of ideas, talent, and innovation between the UK and India.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance added:
“Science is international by definition. The UK and India share deep links in areas like life sciences, strengthened by our growing trade relationship and historic bonds.
Imperial’s deeper engagement with Bengaluru will allow researchers and innovators on both sides to collaborate on breakthroughs spanning health, energy, and more—unlocking growth, investment, and discovery worldwide.”
Imperial’s strength in convergence science and SGB’s expertise in public engagement will power a series of collaborative programmes enabling early-career researchers and innovators to experiment, collaborate, and connect across disciplines and borders.
Proposed joint initiatives include:
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Expansion of SGB’s Public Lab Complex, including the Nature Lab, Materials Lab, Food Lab, New Media Lab, and Theory Lab, supported by advanced facilities such as a dark room, tissue culture room, and microscopy lab.
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Bridge programmes connecting the Public Lab Complex with the WestTech London innovation ecosystem and Imperial’s Schools of Convergence Science.
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A reciprocal Fellowship and Apprenticeship programme for emerging researchers and innovators from India, the UK, and beyond to co-create open-ended experiments and interdisciplinary problem-solving projects.
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An annual calendar of public engagement events, including collaborations with SGB’s Late Labs and Science with Society initiatives.
*Imperial College London has applied to establish a liaison office in India, pending approval from the relevant regulatory authorities.