Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina: 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting

Speaking points for the Deputy Minister at the at the 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting

Theme: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability

Date: 21 August 2026 Chennai, India

Opening session

10h00 - 11h00

Remarks by Heads of BRICS Member States Delegations (4 Minutes)

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Heads of Delegation, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour to address you today and to convey the warm greetings of the Government and people of South Africa to this 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting in the beautiful city of Chennai.

Allow me to express our sincere appreciation to the Government of India for the warm hospitality extended to us and all delegations. We also commend Dr Jitendra Singh, Honourable Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, for his inspiring opening remarks and for India's leadership in advancing the BRICS STI agenda.

The BRICS STI partnership has become a dynamic and forward-looking platform for cooperation. It enables our countries to address shared challenges through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, mutual respect and a common belief in the transformative power of science, technology and innovation.

We meet at a critical time, marked by geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change, climate pressures, economic uncertainty and the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable solutions. In this context, STI is not only an instrument of growth; it is a catalyst for human progress, resilience and shared prosperity within the context of Science Diplomacy.

South Africa congratulates India on its Presidency Theme- on Building for Resilience, Innovation Cooperation and Sustainability, which conveys the importance of our meeting in promoting and advancing science, technology and innovation in support of people-centred, development, equality, accessibility and sustainability.

As BRICS partners, we have the opportunity and responsibility to turn shared ambition into practical cooperation. through unity of purpose, scientific excellence and deeper collaboration, strengthen innovation systems and networks, to advance industrial development support mobility and exchanges among young scientists, and contribute to a fairer and more sustainable world.

Let this meeting renew our determination to work together with courage, creativity and confidence. I look forward to fruitful deliberations, practical outcomes and partnerships in further strengthening our BRICS STI cooperation agenda.

Thank you!

Session 1: Report on the outcomes of the BRICS STI Senior Officials Meeting - Dr. Praveenkumar Somasundaram, Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology, India (15 Minutes)

11h00 -11h15

Session 2: Overview on STI policies in BRICS Member States (8 Minutes, 11h15 - 12h45

South Africa's national system of innovation has historically faced its unique challenges which our government has sought to overturn. This manifests mainly in the legacies on apartheid which can be seen in the shortages of skills and human resources, scientific and research personnel, general historic imbalances and relatively skewed research and scientific infrastructure landscape.

To overturn this, our government seeks to increase spending on R&D to reach 1.5% of GDP by 2030, which is currently sitting at 0.62%.

An increase in Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) would result in a gradual qualitative and quantitative shifts in the chronic challenges affecting our society, within which inclusive development, economic equity and social redress can occur. Our desire to invest, for instance, in historically excluded institutions to ensure an upturn in research, development and innovation (RDI) performance is critically important.

Our 2022-2032 Decadal Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation places a transformed national system of innovation as a key priority goal to create an enabling environment for a whole of society STI to thrive. It prioritises revival of traditional industries, including mining, agriculture, space and astronomy and health innovation, as well as emerging frontiers in AI, circular economy, green economy and grassroots innovations.

Such positive shifts in policy aligns with the sort of investments we are making as BRICS countries in the scientific fields where we are striving to make research and development investments.

South Africa, therefore counts on the BRICS platform as a strategic lever for the internationalisation of its STI system and an opportunity to foster partnerships to developing solutions our system faces.

Hence our affirmation of the strides India is making, and the recent positive outcomes of the exchanges we had in Brazil in 2025, of South Africa places great importance as part of our cooperation within BRICS and other strategic multilateral platforms and networks.

12:45 - 13:00 Group photograph

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch break

Session 3: Update on BRICS Protocol of Accession of New Members

14:00 - 14:20

Remarks on Protocol of Accession of New Members (2 Minutes)

The signing of the Protocol of Accession represents far more than the fulfilment of a legal or procedural requirement. It is a significant and commendable milestone that speaks to the collective commitment of BRICS member states to broaden, deepen and strengthen multilateral cooperation at a time when the global environment is becoming increasingly complex, uncertain and rapidly evolving.

This development reaffirms the value of BRICS as an important platform for advancing solidarity, mutual respect, inclusive development and practical cooperation among countries of the Global South and beyond.

South Africa extends its sincere appreciation to the Republic of Brazil for its leadership and stewardship under its Chairship in 2025 and for ensuring that all new members were afforded the opportunity to sign the Protocol of Accession, notwithstanding the challenges experienced by some member states. This achievement reflects the spirit of cooperation, flexibility and shared purpose that continues to define the BRICS partnership. We are confident that the expanded membership will further enrich the BRICS science, technology and innovation agenda by creating new pathways for policy exchange, joint research, human capital development, technology cooperation, innovation partnerships and mutually beneficial funding mechanisms. Science, technology and innovation remain central enablers of sustainable development, industrial competitiveness, societal resilience and improved quality of life.

With each new voice, perspective and contribution, BRICS becomes stronger, more inclusive and better positioned to deliver practical, people-centred solutions for our respective countries, for the Global South and for the international community at large.

Thank you!

Session 4: Adoption of BRICS STI documents

14:20 - 15:00

Remarks on the Adopted Documents (2 Minutes)

Interventions

Roadmap for New BRICS STI Priorities/Architecture

South Africa appreciates the efforts by India in facilitating the review of the STI priorities to advance alignment and synergies across various thematic Working Groups of the Science, Technology and Innovation sector and notes the draft working documents to be further discussed and considered by member countries.

BRICS STI Calendar of Activities for 2026-27

South Africa welcomes the STI calendar of activities planned for 2026-27 and commit to support the host member countries as they facilitate the coordination and implementation of the various Working Group meetings.

Action Plan of the BRICS Working Group on Research Infrastructures and Mega-Science projects

The 8th BRICS Working Group on Research Infrastructure and Mega-Science Projects, hosted by India in July 2026, focused on strengthening scientific connectivity and access to major research facilities. South Africa is an active and founding member of the Working Group, established in 2015, has progressively advanced the BRICS-GRAIN - Global Research Advanced Infrastructure Network - as a flagship mechanism for mapping, sharing and joint utilization of research infrastructure across BRICS member countries. Access to shared joint research infrastructures and platforms is becoming increasing important to be connected to networks and partnership in conducting scientific discoveries and research activities in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum technologies, biomedical science just to mention a few.

BRICS Science and Research Repository

The BRICS Science and Research Repository (BSRR) is proposed as a digital public good: a structured platform to map, curate and share research outputs, datasets, infrastructures, expertise and collaboration opportunities across BRICS. South Africa appreciates the efforts by India, to coordinate the establishment of the BRICS Science and Research Repository (BSRR) which would be a comprehensive, interoperable and sustainable digital repository strengthening BRICS STI cooperation through knowledge sharing, informed decision-making and enhanced visibility of BRICS research capacities.

Closing session

15:45-16:30

Remarks of Heads of BRICS Member State Delegations (3 Minutes)

Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Heads of Delegation, Distinguished Delegates, colleagues and friends,

As we draw this 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting to a close, South Africa wishes to express its sincere appreciation for the constructive deliberations and valuable contributions made by all delegations. Our discussions have reaffirmed the importance of BRICS as a dynamic platform for advancing science, technology and innovation in support of resilience, inclusive development, sustainability and shared prosperity. As we are confronted with a more complex geopolitical environment, policy crisis and treat to our multilateral system of mutual cooperation and respect, BRICS becomes even more important in order to strengthen the multilateral system order.

We welcome the outcomes of this meeting, including the adoption of the Chennai Declaration. The Declaration reaffirms our commitment for moving from shared vision to practical implementation, stronger cooperation and measurable impact.

The inclusion of new perspectives, capabilities and priorities enriches our collective work and better positions BRICS to deliver people-centred, development-focused and future-oriented solutions.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Government of India for hosting this important meeting in Chennai with warmth, professionalism and excellent organisation. We also thank the Honourable Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, the Indian Department of Science and Technology, BRICS STI Senior Officials, technical teams and all delegations for their leadership, cooperation and valuable contributions throughout the proceedings.

The value of this Ministerial Meeting lies not only in the decisions we have taken, but also in the renewed confidence that BRICS countries can work together to strengthen scientific excellence, support emerging technologies, empower young scientists and innovators, and respond collectively to the complex challenges facing our societies.

As we move forward, South Africa remains committed to working closely with all BRICS partners to translate the commitments made here into concrete programmes, strengthened partnerships and tangible benefits for our peoples. Implementation, coordination and delivery must remain at the centre of our collective efforts.

Let us leave this meeting with renewed purpose, unity and determination to ensure that science, technology and innovation continue to serve society, strengthen resilience, promote inclusive prosperity and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future and just world.

We further reiterate South Africa's commitment to working collaboratively with all BRICS member states to ensure the effective implementation of the programmes and initiatives as articulated in our Declaration. In this regard, we remain committed to translating the decisions taken at this Ministerial Meeting into concrete actions that strengthen scientific excellence, support technology development, deepen innovation cooperation and deliver tangible benefits for our countries and peoples.

South Africa looks forward to continued cooperation and extends its best wishes to China as the next Chair of BRICS.

I thank you!

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