( S&T NEWSLETTER) No.17 2019

Contents

Science, technology and innovation adds lustre to BRICS summit

1 Science, technology and innovation adds productivity and competitiveness and tackling global lustre to BRICS summit challenges. Science and technology authorities of BRICS countries will work together to accelerate the The 11th BRICS summit was held in Brasilia, building of BRICS Technology Transfer Center, on November 13-14. Innovation BRICS Network (iBRICS Network) and With the steady economic and social other practical cooperation projects, and deliver on development of BRICS countries, the S&T the consensus reached at BRICS summit in STI field. cooperation between BRICS countries has also BRICS countries will adopt effective, pragmatic been deepening. By seizing the opportunities of measures to enhance STI cooperation, exchange the new Industrial Revolution, BRICS countries ideas on innovation policies and strategies, formulate have promoted innovation-driven growth and long-term cooperation plans in response to common transformation, and embraced the wave of challenges, and promote substantive growth of innovation powered by intelligent manufacturing, BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution Internet+, digital economy and sharing economy. (PartNIR). In so doing, BRICS have cemented their ties and contributed to the global recovery. STI continues to expand under BRICS cooperation mechanism As a whole, BRICS countries lag behind developed countries in the field of science and technology, but they each have their own strengths in particular industries. China boasts advanced technologies in communications equipment and high-speed railway, while is strong in aerospace and nuclear power, in software development and biomedicine, Brazil in civil aviation and deep sea oil exploration, and in coal chemicals.

Emphasize cooperative action, and encourage the development of multi-field, multi-tier innovation Campinas Declaration opens a new chapter in cooperation, including public-private partnership. BRICS S&T cooperation Encourage science park cooperation and the In September 2019, the seventh BRICs Ministerial establishment of a regular communication Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation mechanism on this topic. was held in Campinas city, Sao Paulo state of Brazil. The meeting focused on the progress of BRICS Encourage technology transfer cooperation science, technology and innovation (STI) policies among BRICS countries, and the building of a and priority areas, the Science, Technology and platform for industry-universities-research institutes Innovation (STI) Framework Programme, and issued cooperation. the Campinas Declaration and BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Work Plan Promote the establishment of youth innovation 2019-2022. and entrepreneurship partnership, and support STI Brazil holds the rotating presidency of BRICS investment and cross-border investment. this year. It identified the theme of the 11th BRICS Support innovators, particularly young scientists summit as “Economic Growth for an Innovative and entrepreneurs, to share ideas and best practices Future”. One of the topics was strengthening on innovation and entrepreneurship. cooperation on STI, demonstrating BRICS leaders’ great attention to STI and greater roles of science and Emphasize open science, infrastructure sharing technology authorities of BRICS countries. and mega-science projects. BRICS countries agree that innovation is one of the major drivers for global sustainable development, Continue to support the role of women in STI and is key to promoting growth, employment, activities. entrepreneurship and structural reform, improving

2 According to the Annual Report on BRICS' cooperation to other areas of common interest, National Innovation Competitiveness including the Internet of things, ICT and new Development (2017), the BRICS countries’ R&D materials. It is a shared hope that the two sides will spending accounted for 17% of the global total, contribute to the economic transformation the and its high-tech export volume reached nearly improvement of people's lives of the two countries $6 trillion, or 28% of the global total. And the through STI cooperation. total science articles hit 590,000, or 27% of the As the world’s two biggest developing countries, global total. China and India enjoy strong economic The BRICS countries’ contribution to the world's complementarity and huge cooperation potential. STI and their international influence are growing. During the Sixth China-India Strategic Economic BRICS countries have become the leaders in the Dialogue, the two countries reached new agreement development of science, technology, economy and on cooperation in policy coordination, infrastructure, society of the region, driving the growth of energy conservation and environmental protection, neighboring countries. high technology, energy and medicine. BRICS countries are stepping up their Both sides agreed that the two economies are arrangements on the development of new complementary to each other rather than in technologies and emerging industries, in light of their competition. Both sides should open up wider to respective strengths and future market demand. embrace development opportunities, engage in Each has made progress in particular fields, wider-ranging cooperation to pursue win-win results, laying a sound foundation for industrial upgrading. continue to enhance policy communication, China has made headway in its seven strategic complement each other’s strengths, deepen practical emerging industries, while Russia in space cooperation in various fields, and promote projects in technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology, India infrastructure, housing, logistics, smart city and in IT, space technology and nuclear technology, and manufacturing. This will foster a better environment Brazil in aerospace technology, marine engineering for cooperation between businesses of the two and biomass energy. countries. Non-governmental S&T cooperation is an important supplement to governmental S&T cooperation. As the most dynamic part of non-governmental S&T cooperation, cooperation among BRICS countries’ businesses will raise their innovation capacity, and become an important area. BRICS countries’ STI cooperation see impressive results With the joint efforts over the past decade, BRICS countries have become closer in bilateral ties and achieved transformation in S&T cooperation. China and Brazil enjoy strong complementarity China and Russia enjoy growing complemen- and great potential in STI cooperation and the two tarity and win-win benefits in economic cooperation. sides have signed cooperation agreements in a wide Fruitful cooperation has been carried out in the fields range of fields, including space, IT, biotechnology, of nano technology, energy, energy conservation, agriculture and animal husbandry, aquaculture, health, environmental protection, and rational use of natural energy and mineral resources. resources. The visits between universities and On June 18, 2019, the Third China-Brazil research institutes of the two countries are also High-level Dialogue on Science, Technology and increasingly frequent. The bilateral S&T cooperation Innovation was held in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. holds great promise. The two sides agreed to further deepen their STI China is one of South Africa’s main investment cooperation, and facilitate efforts in the building of destinations, and vice versa. Both countries have joint laboratories, the development of science parks made vigorous efforts to advance STI cooperation. and the exchange of young scientists. Efforts need to Technological cooperation in various fields has made be made to build upon the sound cooperation progress, particularly in frontier technologies and momentum in nanotechnology, space technology, industrial applications. Scientists of both countries clean energy and agricultural technology, and expand have made phenomenal breakthroughs, adding 3 substance to the comprehensive strategic partnership and a new pillar for expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation. The two-way investment has expanded beyond traditional household appliances, mineral resources and smelting to finance, telecommunications, energy, and infrastructure. BRICS countries adopt different development paths based upon their respective national conditions and cultures. The diversity and difference is exactly the driver for mutual learning and inclusive cooperation. On the occasion of the 11th meeting of BRICS summit, there is every reason to believe that BRICS cooperation will be better and more exciting.

(Source: Science and Technology Daily)

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