Innovation For Sustainability: African and European Perspectives

Chapter 9 - Innovation for Sustainability in a Changing World

162 CHAPTER 9 SOUTH AFRICA AND GERMANY IN DIALOGUE T he South African-German Dialogue on Science for Sustainability (D4S) between the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) was initiated in December 2007 in Pretoria, South Africa. A hundred South African and German scientists, policy makers and representatives of industries and non-governmental organisations participated in the course of the dialogue. The initiative intends to define common areas between South Africa and Germany in the field of research and development for sustainability, build future networks between the scientists and industries in both countries, initiate new research and development cooperations and contribute to the dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge . Importantly, the dialogue aims to provide a forum for the two parties to share knowledge and have focused discussions on a range of mutual policy and strategy challenges. Based on a Joint Declaration of Intent signed by Mr Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Science and Technology, Republic of South Africa and Dr Annette Schavan, Minister of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Germany on 8 February 2008 two conferences were already held. The first session in Bonn, Germany, was a first stocktaking exercise of the bilateral cooperation lines in Science and Technology, Development and Environment. Five priorities were identified for future cooperation. The second dialogue session in Pretoria, 26 and 27 October 2009 aimed at deepening joint understanding of a selected number of policy and strategy issues of interest to players in the national systems of innovation of both countries, refining the dialogue framework developed during the first dialogue session as a basis for identifying new areas of cooperation and agreeing on the next steps for the dialogue and identifying specific areas for enhanced cooperation between the two countries. Innovation for Sustainability in a Changing World TheSouthAfrican-GermanDialogueonScienceforSustainability Lothar Mennicken, Wolf Junker, Imraan Patel and Oksana Buranbaeva 163 INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN A CHANGING WORLD In the dialogue, the participants exchanged experiences and scienti fic knowledge in organising national systems of innovation to support sustainable development, decoupling economic development and environmental degradation, and the role of international science and technology cooperation towards innovation for sustainability. Both parties agreed to keep the dialogue on the strategic level especially in the cross cutting fields of environmental economy and policy research and innovation for sustainability research. BMBF and DST will discuss possibilities for funding of new joint R&D projects, e.g. in water and environmental technologies, and to continue the dialogue for another three years (2010–2012) under the Agreement on Cooperation in Science, Research and Technology (1996). BACKGROUND: THE ROLE OF THE SCIENCE POLICY DIALOGUE Science and technology play a crucial role in meeting the pressing challenges of sustainable development. Having recognised the considerable potential for collaboration in developing cost-effective and innovative technologies, South Africa and Germany entered into a policy dialogue process that aims to strengthen bilateral science and technology cooperation . The dialogue rests on an assessment that both countries face a challenge in combining economic growth with sustainability and agree that the time is ripe for a partnership based on mutual interests in a sustainable future nationally and globally. The dialogue should lead to joint research and sustainability strategies as well as contribute to the development of strong linkages between research, the private sector, civil society and the government, both within and between the countries. Finally, it should assist both countries in not only strengthening the contribution of National Systems of Innovation to support sustainability but also the emerging Global System of Innovation. Both Germany and South Africa are playing leading roles in an OECD project looking at how to strengthen international cooperation to address global challenges such as environmental sustainability. The partnership draws from the ongoing collaborative projects in the fields of environmental science and sustainable technologies within the existing political framework for scientific and technological cooperation between the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Germany (See: Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Science, Research and Technology, 1996). The dialogue creates links between bilateral and multilateral cooperation lines. A significant milestone was the signature of a Joint Declaration 164 CHAPTER 9 of Intent on Cooperation in the Area of Science for Sustainability by the German Federal Minister of Education and Research Dr Annette Schavan and the South African Minister of Science and Technology Mosibudi Mangena in February 2008...