Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor believes that the absence of global research infrastructure in the developing world will increase the current imbalance in scientific resources and undermine the pursuit of sustainable development.
Minister Pandor was speaking at the 3rd Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Ministerial Meeting in Moscow, Russia, 28 October.
"The location of global infrastructure in Africa should be strongly encouraged because it would enhance the alignment between global support for science – through investment in global research infrastructure – and sustainable international development," Minister Pandor said.
She said that global research infrastructure projects commanded high levels of public interest, largely as a result of their scope and scale
Minister Pandor said it was important for the meeting to consider how these attributes could best be leveraged in the interest of global science.
The 3rd BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting was convened to endorse the BRICS STI Work Plan (2015-2018), which is based on a memorandum of understanding on STI cooperation between the BRICS countries.
The work plan focuses on the main areas of cooperation, while ensuring further mutually beneficial collaboration among BRICS members, including new research and innovation initiatives.
BRICS countries are currently collaborating in the following areas:
- Prevention and mitigation of natural disasters (monitoring and early warning). Brazil leads cooperation in this area, through its National Centre for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, Cemaden.
- New and renewable energy, and energy efficiency, led by China's Ministry of Science and Technology.
- Geospatial technology and its application for development. This is led by India through its National Spatial Data Infrastructure.
- Water resources and pollution treatment. Russia leads this area through its Technology Platform for Sustainable Ecological Development.
- Astronomy, which South Africa leads through the National Research Foundation.
