Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina: 12th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting

Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina’s welcoming remarks at the 12th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting, held in Moscow On Friday, 27 September 2024.

Your Excellencies, Ministers and Heads of Delegations to the 12th BRICS Ministerial Meeting, all Protocol observed.

I am delighted to be here on behalf of Prof Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa, and representing the Government and the people of South Africa in this historic 12th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting, where the new BRICS member states are present. Under Russia’s leadership, this year’s meeting is historic in that it will not only enable us to share experiences and expertise and plan for new initiatives and joint programmes, but we will also witness the signing of the Protocol where the extended members of the BRICS family will be acceding to the BRICS STI track.

Specifically for South Africa, I look forward to reaching out and working with the broader BRICS members in the implementation of the recently adopted new Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation. Let me reiterate South Africa’s call to all BRICS partners to partner in advancing the Pan-African agenda for science and innovation, consistent with BRICS spirit of solidarity and our commitment to development, as made by Minister Nzimande in Gqeberha last year.

I would also like to congratulate our fellow BRICS member Brazil for hosting a successful G20 Ministerial meeting for STI the past week. South Africa looks forward to continuing the good work started by Brazil under their G20 Presidency and look forward to taking this forward under the South African Presidency. Lastly, I would like to extend a word of heart-felt gratitude for the support South Africa received during its Chairship in 2023. In this regard, I urge all of us to extend the same level of support to Russia as the current Chair.

1. Updates on STI priorities in each BRICS country and prospective thematic areas of BRICS STI cooperation.

A. Collaborative Efforts in the Humanities
Dear Colleagues, the Department of Science and Innovation recognises the necessity for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) to play a stronger role in the science system, and not only in a narrow utilitarian sense or as mere supporting disciplines. The analyses and insights emanating from the Humanities and Social Sciences can help explain ethical issues and conditions under which new technologies are successfully introduced and spread. The long-term sustainable development features of new technologies are not just technological in nature but are increasingly dependent on their degree of acceptance and diffusion in society.
The Department of Science and Innovation has consequently taken a decision to implement key interventions which aim at making the Humanities and Social Sciences a critical component of the National System of Innovation. Some of these interventions include:

• Ensuring that funding calls include additional resources to enable transdisciplinary participation by the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).
• Conducting a Feasibility study to establish the demand for institutes of applied Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).
• Increasing support for interventions aimed at supporting “research to policy” work as the companion of the “lab to market” work of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields; and
• Spearheading support for the digital humanities as an emerging field that has the potential to inform transformative research in the humanities.

Furthermore, to ensure that the Humanities and Social Sciences is supported appropriately, the Department, on a biannual basis, conducts the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Scientometric Studies. The aim of the scientometric studies is to provide academics and scientists in the field as well as science and research managers and relevant policymakers and decision-makers with a high-level, standardised framework against which the strengths as well as the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) disciplines can be monitored.

B. Cooperation in the field of Research Infrastructures, including Carbon sites research.
Dear Colleagues, first let me applaud the work we have started in the BRICS to support cooperation on research infrastructures, which as the 5th meeting of the Working Group on Research Infrastructures and Mega-science Projects decided in October last year 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa, to develop a holistic focus on Research Infrastructures including a focus on the earth environmental infrastructure and research infrastructure in the Social Sciences & Humanities thematic areas, and mega sciences projects such as Advanced neutron sources; Synchrotrons; Underground laboratories; Earth and environment.

On collaboration in carbon sites research, South Africa already plays a critical role as it runs several research sites for which we have developed partnerships with internationally. These cover research and development relating to technological development, for monitoring of the environment such as low-cost sensors. These covers environmental research topics and human capital development programmes across the value chains. It therefore gives me great pleasure to put forward our support for strengthening collaboration links in this field with the BRICS partners and sharing of research and development practices.

C. Innovation Initiatives
Dear Colleagues, South Africa's innovation ecosystem within the BRICS framework can be significantly enhanced through initiatives that promote collaboration among startups, research institutions, and government entities. Some of the possible initiatives which include:
- The BRICS Startup Accelerator programme, which could provide mentorship, funding, and resources for early-stage companies. This programme would enable South African startups to connect with counterparts in other BRICS nations, facilitating knowledge sharing and access to diverse markets.
- The BRICS Startup Exchange Programme which could facilitate the movement of entrepreneurs, investors, and talent among member countries, allowing startups to gain insights into different markets and operational practices. By creating a platform for cross-border collaboration,
- The BRICS Innovation Challenge, aimed at addressing specific regional issues such as circular economy, digitisation, food security, and clean energy. This initiative would encourage startups from all member countries to propose innovative solutions, with winners receiving funding, technical support, and access to international markets.
- The BRICS Innovation Lab Programme could be designed to foster collaboration on research and development projects across sectors such as agriculture, health, and technology. This lab would serve as a hub for joint experimentation and innovation, where researchers, startups, and industry experts could work together to develop solutions tailored to the unique challenges faced by BRICS countries.
- The BRICS Innovation Fund programme focusing on financing startups that prioritize social impact and sustainable practices. This fund would provide grants and investment opportunities for startups addressing key challenges, such as renewable energy, education, and healthcare.

D. Scientometric systems and databases in the BRICS countries
Dear Colleagues, South Africa views this new proposed initiative on scientometric systems within the BRICS as important in fostering the formation of common approaches to the scientific productivity assessment and development in BRICS countries. There is a wide range of approaches to assessing the results of scientific activity, which can be conditionally divided into two groups: qualitative and quantitative.

We note that the current methodology of the quantitative assessment of scientific activity is based on the scientometric approach (publication activity), exercised based on bibliographic or abstract databases, the largest and most respected of them being Thomson Reuters Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus.

We note that in a changing multipolar world, these publishers have proven to be politically biased in assessing the scientific performance of the scientists from non-Western countries. Hence, we are championing initiatives focusing on Open Science and Open Access to advance equity and inclusivity in knowledge access and generation.

This makes the development of different approaches to assessing scientific performance, using national indicators more critical to evaluate the work of scientists, scientific communities, laboratories, universities and research institutes, based on national scientific citation databases.

The cooperation in this area is assured to lead to a more effective scientometric approaches in BRICS countries, as well as a more rational approach to scientific productivity assessment, given the significant expertise across the BRICS members to contribute quantitative evidence.

Establishing common approaches to the assessment of innovation activity should be a new focus, to complement the cooperation around scientific productivity. Let me also share the experiences of our continental efforts being championed by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA)-NEPAD in building capacities in the continent on excellence in science, technology and innovation measurement, to start with establishing Observatories to produce national and continental Research and Development and Innovation Outlook Reports. This initiative has also seen the support of countries outside the continent namely, Sweden, Brazil, Russia, China, just to mention a few.

E. BRICS STI Framework Programme
The BRICS Framework Programme for Science, Technology and Innovation remains a highly successful instrument to support BRICS research and innovation cooperation, with BRICS national funders of research and innovation in the case of South Africa: the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), National Research Foundation (NRF), Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Water Research Commission (WRC) making funding available for collaborative research and innovation projects. I would like to congratulate the technical expertise for launching a successful call in 2023 to support joint projects to be implemented starting 2024. We encourage the new BRICS members to join the programme to support and participate in joint collaborative projects.

F. BRICS Young Scientist Forum
I am happy to report that South Africa’s planning for participation in the 2024 BRICS Young Scientist Forum (YSF) is at an advanced stage, and we have submitted the list of the twelve participants to the BRICS Secretariat for participation in the Forum in November 2024 to be held in Sochi, Russia.

Based on the impressive research profiles of the twelve (12) young scientists, we are confident that South Africa will make notable contributions in the 2024 BRICS Young Scientist Forum and maximally harvest the networking platform offered by such a prestigious event. We are currently finalising the selection of the Young Innovators who will participate in the BRICS Young Innovators Prize Awards.

2. Adoption of the BRICS Declaration
Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to support the adoption of the 2024 Declaration of the 12th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting, and further reiterate our support for Brazil Chairship of the BRICS next year in 2025. South Africa also looks forward to further exchanges next year during the Technical Experts Meeting on Natural Medicine which we plan to host, and the Workshop on Science and Innovation Policy Advise and Science Diplomacy, respectively.

3. Deputy Minister’s concluding remarks at the 12th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting

Your Excellencies, leaders of the various BRICS delegations to the 12th BRICS Ministerial Meeting, ladies and gentlemen all Protocols observed.

It has been an honour to be part of the fruitful discussions of the 12th BRICS Ministerial Meeting and especially the welcoming of the new BRICS members.

BRICS science, technology and innovation partnership remains a priority for South Africa as it provides an opportunity for South Africa to tap into the wealth of experience and expertise from the various BRICS member countries and strengthen our South -South cooperation as we implement our national Decadal (ten-year) Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Lastly, I would like to also reiterate Prof Nzimande’s call in 2023, for all BRICS partners to join forces with South Africa, whether bilaterally or multilaterally, in advancing the Pan-African agenda for science and innovation, consistent with BRICS spirit of solidarity and our commitment to development. We have an opportunity to collectively find appropriate mechanisms to enable cooperation and possible joint programmes between BRICS and African funders of research and innovation. We also invite all BRICS members and partners to participate in our various initiatives for science, technology and innovation as we take over the G20 Presidency from Brazil later this year. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Russia for hosting a successful meeting and for the hospitality extended to us during our stay in Moscow.

I Thank you!