Research and Innovation

The new Research and Innovation Working Group, which will be created under the Brazilian presidency of the G20, will work on “Innovation Open to Fair and Sustainable Development”. As coordinator, Brasil intends to advance in terms of technology access and transfer to developing countries.

About the WG

The working group is an outcome of the Research and Innovation Initiative of the G20 (G20 RIIG), a result of the Academic Forum promoted by the Italian presidency, in 2021.

We live in a new international scenario, marked by the consequences of a pandemic and of geopolitical conflicts of great proportion, which evidenced the fragility of the global production and supply chains, and have increased the disputes for the technological domain and the competition based on national interests. 

At the same time, the world faces global challenges, such as extreme climate events, hydric shortages, the elevation of ocean levels, emergencies in health, and food insecurity. These issues do not recognize borders and will only be solved with international cooperation in science, technology and innovation. In this light, the G20 has been highlighted as an important forum for science, technology and innovation.

History of the WG

The first meeting of the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative (G20 RIIG) was held in 2022, in Indonesia. The priority issues of the latest two editions of the WG centered on sustainability, specifically on research and innovation related to biodiversity, eco-innovations for energetic transition, circular bioeconomy, blue sustainable economy, and materials for sustainable energies. 

Brasil proposes to continue what was started during the Indonesian and Indian presidencies in the form of the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Meeting, now under the format of a working group about these issues — an unprecedented initiative. In this sense, the goal is to continue the work of transforming research and innovation ecosystems to responsibly and efficiently respond to the social and environmental challenges we face, including natural risks, disasters, and extreme climate events, and to support joint efforts. 

The WG will also stimulate the mobility of students, academics, researchers, and scientists between research and higher education institutions through mobility programs, to reduce the barriers to inter-institutional collaborations. 

The goal is to advance in terms of technology access and transfer to developing countries, reducing inequalities and promoting inclusive, fair, and sustainable development.