South Africa and EU deepen science and technology partnership

The Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), in partnership with the European Commission (EC) and the EU delegation to South Africa, successfully hosted the 17th Meeting of the European Union (EU) – South Africa Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) on 27 November 2024 in Pretoria.

The meeting aimed to share insights into respective developments on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy, take stock of the progress made in the priority domains of cooperation, and identify potential areas for future cooperation enhancement.

Topics covered included, among others, horizontal issues, such as the Multilateral Dialogue on values and principles in Research and Innovation (R&I), Science Diplomacy, the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, and thematic priorities such as energy, hydrogen and just green transition, marine research, bioeconomy, food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture and public health.

Cooperation projects discussed are funded through South Africa’s domestic budget, as well as by the Global Gateway investment strategy, under which the EU mobilises programmes such as the EU’s support programme for South Africa’s National System of Innovation, the EU’s R&I Framework Programme “Horizon Europe”, and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).

This high-level meeting reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between South Africa and the EU in STI, which plays a critical role in advancing national and regional priorities for South Africa while contributing to the EU's global STI goals.

It was co-chaired by the DSTI's Acting Director-General, Ms Gugulethu Zwane, and the EC's Director-General for Research and Innovation, Mr. Marc Lemaître.

The meeting underscored the commitment to enhance collaboration in key research areas such as Open Science, climate change, renewable energy and clean technologies, public health and pandemic preparedness, digital transformation, and food and water security. Global Gateway offers an opportunity to scale up investments in these areas.

Recognising the importance of inclusive participation, the meeting emphasised initiatives to increase the engagement of historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs), early-career researchers, and women in science. Specific programs will be developed to facilitate their access to international collaborative opportunities under the EU's Horizon Europe Framework Programme.

Discussions also focused on leveraging science diplomacy to address global challenges, with the EU and South Africa reaffirming their commitment to multilateralism and collaboration through platforms such as the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.

The meeting highlight South Africa’s considerable participation in the EU Framework Programme Horizon Europe, including 143 project grants, 196 participations by South African institutions, an average success rate of 26% (higher than average success rate), and a total net EU contribution of 60.6 million euros, for the first three years (2021-2024).

Ms Zwane provided an overview of recent STI policy developments for the country's Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) and the National Development Plan, which are driven by the Department's International Cooperation and Resources Programme. The Programme is proactively supporting the attainment of the MTDP objective of harnessing STI for growth, by growing and transforming STI capabilities, human resources and research infrastructure.

"Specific partnerships promoted will include a focus on international mobility opportunities for South African students and researcher in support of human resource development, as well as the bolstering of innovation capacities through support to innovators and small, medium, and micro enterprises", said the Acting Director-General.

In addition, the DSTI will also prioritise partnerships that support the development of African regional and continental innovation ecosystems, as well as those that access international inbound technology transfer to South Africa in support of the economic sectors prioritised in the MTDP. These efforts are part of a holistic approach to national capacity building.

"All these efforts will be achieved through targeted interventions to improve NSI coordination regarding international cooperation, ensuring alignment with MTDP priorities," added Ms Zwane.

Mr. Lemaître provided an update on the ongoing reflection at the European Commission on the next Framework Programme, “FP10”, and its international cooperation strategy, and welcomed a position paper from South Africa in this regard.

Mr. Lemaître highlighted that Research and Innovation are expected to be of strategic importance for the incoming European Commission, in light of their key roles as drivers of competitiveness, as highlighted in the recently published report by Prof Mario Draghi.

“The EU and South Africa are tied by a long-lasting and vibrant partnership in Research and Innovation, stemming from a bilateral agreement entered into force nearly 30 years ago, in 1997. The JSTCC held today shows our shared determination to bring this cooperation to the next level, together”, DG Lemaître said.

The meeting was also attended by Ms Sandra Kramer, Ambassador of the European Union to South Africa, who stressed the importance of STI in the overall EU-South Africa partnership, underscoring the timeliness of this JSTCC in view of next year’s EU-South Africa Summit. She also indicated that the EU will further mobilise Global Gateway, Europe’s external investment strategy, in the area of Research, Innovation and Education.

The EU-South Africa bilateral partnership is expected to gain further momentum in 2025 under South Africa’s G20 presidency as well as being profiled at the SA-EU Summit in 2025.

This article was first published on 29 November by South Africa DSI.