SA has signed an agreement with Brazil and India to create an annual seed fund to support joint research and development projects that have a potential for industrial applications for the three countries.
The signing took place at a ministerial meeting in Angra do Reis, Brazil, with each country pledging to allocate $1 million towards the fund. All three countries agreed they face the same challenge of the "innovation chasm".
"The India, Brazil and SA (IBSA) meeting was a dialogue forum convened by the heads of state to discuss how these three rapidly developing economies can best work together to accelerate their growth and development," says Dhesigen Naidoo, deputy director-general for international cooperation in the Department of Science and Technology.
"We are able to produce a substantive knowledge platform through our science and technology systems, but are not as successful with carrying this through into the real productive economy. The design of the fund is to facilitate this more directly and reduce our dependence for product development on the North."
The IBSA forum has worked well in the science and technology arena, and this year the discussions centred on nano technology, bio technology and oceanography, as well as the three priority diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, Naidoo states.
He notes that one of the successful outcomes at the Brazil meeting was the creation of an intellectual property platform to enhance the competitive advantages of the three countries.
"The platform will aim to convert the intellectual property into design and development of specialised products, as well as share experiences in protecting indigenous intellectual property."
Share