The First BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting took place on February 10, 2014, in Cape Town, South Africa.

 encourage the mobility of researchers between BRICS countries.

Significance and Impact

The 2014 Cape Town meeting was significant for several reasons:

1. Formalization of STI Cooperation: It marked the first time that BRICS countries formally agreed to cooperate in science, technology, and innovation at a ministerial level.
2. Strategic Alignment: The meeting aligned STI efforts with broader BRICS economic and political goals, recognizing the role of innovation in economic growth.
3. Pooling of Resources: It set the stage for pooling research capabilities and funding, potentially leading to more impactful and efficient research outcomes.
4. Global Challenges Focus: The identified thematic areas addressed pressing global issues, positioning BRICS to contribute significantly to solving world problems.
5. South-South Cooperation: The initiative strengthened South-South cooperation in STI, offering an alternative to traditional North-South knowledge transfer models.

Follow-up Actions

Following the Cape Town meeting:

1. The BRICS STI Funding Working Group was established and began work on developing funding mechanisms.
2. Subsequent BRICS STI ministerial meetings were held annually, building on the foundation laid in Cape Town.
3. The BRICS Framework Programme for funding multilateral joint research projects was launched in 2015.
4. Collaborative research projects in the identified thematic areas began to take shape.

The 2014 BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Meeting in Cape Town was a pivotal moment in BRICS cooperation, setting the stage for increased collaboration in critical fields that have the potential to drive economic growth and address global challenges. It represented a significant step towards leveraging the collective strengths of these emerging economies in the realm of scientific and technological innovation.