SA, Brazil and India have made little progress with scientific co-operation, despite government commitments.
Government funding has not come through, making it difficult for researchers to collaborate, says department of science & technology spokesman Nhlanhla Nyide. But this will change.
At the third meeting of ministers of science & technology, held in Brazil last month, the ministers agreed to create a seed fund to which each country would commit US$1m annually. It will be used to support R&D projects, in particular those that have an industrial application and are of mutual interest.
SA's science & technology minister, Mosibudi Mangena, has invited his counterpart in India to bring a delegation of researchers, academics and industrialists to SA within the next six months to kickstart the process of identifying R&D projects that could be pursued by the three countries.
For companies that are potentially also competitors, the issue of protecting intellectual property will be a concern.
But, as a start, the three ministers have agreed to create an intellectual property platform capable of enhancing the competitive advantage of the three countries.
