Bengaluru, October 13, 2025: Imperial College London and Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) have announced a new five-year strategic partnership to advance collaboration in innovation, research, and public engagement between the United Kingdom, India, and the global scientific community.
The announcement coincided with the British Prime Minister’s first official visit to India, with Imperial College President Professor Hugh Brady joining the UK delegation alongside Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru.
Under the partnership, the two institutions will jointly develop new open research facilities at SGB’s campus, launch a UK–India Fellowship Programme to promote cross-border knowledge exchange, and co-create public engagement and education initiatives aimed at nurturing the next generation of innovators and scientists.
The collaboration will also expand SGB’s Public Lab Complex — home to the Nature Lab, Materials Lab, Food Lab, New Media Lab, and Theory Lab — and connect it with the WestTech London innovation ecosystem, which houses over 1,000 innovation businesses generating £9 billion in annual turnover.
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. By joining forces across continents, we are deepening research and innovation collaboration between the two countries, and building bridges that will empower the next generation of scientists, thinkers, leaders and changemakers.”
Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director, Science Gallery Bengaluru, said, “We are delighted to be partnering 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. We are excited about what we can build together. Together we want to drive locally rooted and globally relevant innovation through community-engaged science that encourages researchers to draw in diverse perspectives and influences to shape and inspire their ideas. This will equip the next generation of innovators and scientific leaders to translate their research into real-world impactful applications and bring us closer to solving shared global challenges.”
The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Amanda Wolthuizen, Vice-President (Strategic Engagement) at Imperial, and Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey.
Amanda Wolthuizen, Vice-President (Strategic Engagement), Imperial College London, said, “We are especially pleased to strengthen our relationship with Science Gallery Bengaluru following the official launch of Imperial Global India earlier this year. With this initiative in Bengaluru, we are moving forward in our ambition to co-develop programmes that foster impactful two-way exchanges of ideas, talent and innovation between the UK and India.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance added, “Science is international by definition. We can aim higher and go further when we work together. Imperial deepening its ties with Bengaluru will enable its international community of students, researchers and innovators to work with their India-based counterparts on efforts that could drive growth, unlock investment, and deliver breakthroughs from health to energy, and beyond.”
The partnership aims to bridge India’s and the UK’s innovation ecosystems by combining Imperial’s research excellence and Science Gallery Bengaluru’s public engagement expertise to foster a new generation of globally connected scientists and innovators.
