On Scientific Collaborations in BRICS, Building a Multipolar World Through Science, Technology, and Innovation
The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has long been recognized as a globally significant collective, defined by its substantial contributions to global GDP, its vast scientific and technological capacity, its abundant natural resources, and its combined population of billions. Since its formal inception, the group has evolved into a prominent international voice, representing countries that seek to challenge and provide a viable alternative to the long-dominant Western hegemony in global governance. BRICS functions, at its core, as a collaborative force aimed at establishing a truly multipolar world system. While the group’s positions on global finance, macro-economic issues, and development funding through institutions like the New Development Bank are widely recognized and discussed, the depth and strategic importance of cooperation among member states regarding science, technology, and innovation (STI) remains far less publicised, yet it is arguably one of the most critical pillars of the partnership.
At a time when global scientific collaboration is increasingly dictated by geopolitical tensions, the rise of techno-nationalism, and intense strategic competition—often manifesting as sanctions, export controls, and restrictions on knowledge flow—BRICS assumes a uniquely critical role in the global STI landscape. Through this platform, member nations can coordinate their strategies, amplify their collective voice in global economic governance, and work together to reduce their long-standing technological dependencies on the West. The 2022 launch of a BRICS expansion process signalled a clear move towards a more inclusive forum, one aimed at fostering development and political cooperation across the broader Global South. This collaboration is no longer just a matter of dialogue; it is a concrete, ongoing effort to build shared capacities through a variety of framework programmes. The group’s current membership has now expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran, transforming it into an even more formidable and diverse coalition known as BRICS+.
Cooperation in science, technology, and innovation has been a formal part of the BRICS agenda since its early years. It was officially recognised in 2011 and was progressively consolidated through meetings between senior officials and the BRICS Ministers of Science, Technology, and Innovation. A pivotal moment came in 2015 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding that established STI as a core strategic pillar of the partnership. This MoU provided the necessary institutional framework and clear operational signals for collaborative research and capacity-building initiatives. Since then, the framework has steadily expanded the scope of cooperation, allowing members to leverage their often complementary strengths to address shared development challenges and advance frontier sciences.
The first BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation (2017-2020) tasked the Science, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Partnership (STEP) Working Group with implementing a variety of programmes. These initiatives focused on building entrepreneurship networks, highlighting the role of youth and women in STI, and fostering collaborations around technology transfer and business incubators. Over time, BRICS has evolved from issuing early joint research calls focused on fundamental science toward a clearer prioritization of innovation and technology transfer that can deliver tangible economic and social benefits.
These evolving priorities are formally identified and codified in annual ministerial declarations. The BRICS Ministers of Science, Technology, and Innovation meet once a year to approve and sign strategic documents that set the agenda for the coming period. Within each member country, one or two lead agencies coordinate these activities, issue calls for proposals, and prepare project lists for final approval during the respective country’s presidency. For example, during India’s chairmanship, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) serve as the lead agencies, channeling the country’s participation in this multilateral effort.
A clear and growing emphasis on innovation-driven and technology-enabled ecosystems is evident in recent summit themes and in specific initiatives such as iBRICS and the BRICS Technology Transfer Centre (TTC). The TTC has made notable progress in creating policy frameworks and establishing institutional links for cross-border technology commercialisation. However, despite this progress, the large-scale commercialisation of these collaboratively developed technologies remains limited, pointing to an area that requires further attention and investment.
The focus of BRICS joint research calls has also notably transitioned from being heavily weighted towards basic science and enabling technologies to now include more socially relevant and pressing areas such as energy security, water management, public health, and environmental sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a powerful accelerant for this shift, placing a premium on collaborative work in public health, vaccine research, biosecurity, and digital health technologies. Recent calls have integrated high-performance computing (HPC), advanced materials, information and communication technology (ICT), and even space-related applications. Scientific collaboration has strengthened measurably over time, with a growing and deliberate focus on artificial intelligence and data-intensive science, fields that will define the 21st century.
While the various working groups reflect these shared development priorities, the pace of progress varies significantly across different fields. Significant and visible progress has been made in ICT and HPC, highlighted by the establishment of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks. Space cooperation has also advanced following a 2021 intergovernmental agreement. Conversely, areas that require heavy, costly infrastructure or are more exploratory in nature, such as mega-science projects (like deep underground laboratories or next-generation telescopes) and ocean or polar research, have developed more slowly due to the immense resources required.
The expansion of BRICS has positioned it as an even more inclusive and representative platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative research. The 2025 Declaration on AI, for instance, elevated artificial intelligence from a sub-theme to a central pillar of multilateral governance within the group. This declaration outlines a visionary framework for AI governance that is equitable, inclusive, and development-oriented, directly countering the technology-dominant narratives emerging from other parts of the world. It moves the partnership towards a strategic collaboration with direct economic and social relevance. While the 2021-24 Action Plan focused on networking and establishing thematic frameworks, subsequent plans aim to scale projects for greater tangible impact, with a sharper focus on biotechnology, climate tech, industrial innovation, and AI applications.
Under India’s 2026 Presidency, with its chosen theme of ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, the group is strategically positioned to deepen its scientific partnerships even further. The goal is to leverage the expanded membership to strengthen collective capacities and address shared challenges like persistent digital divides, future public health crises, and the urgent need for climate resilience. However, participation from the new members remains uneven; among the most recent additions, only Egypt and Iran joined the latest call for proposals issued last December, indicating a need for greater integration efforts. Additionally, the China-BRICS Research Centre on New Quality Productive Forces was recently inaugurated in Beijing, serving as an international platform for academic exchange and technological research, further deepening the institutional framework.
When compared to advanced economies like South Korea, the National Innovation Systems (NIS) of the original BRICS countries exhibit a range of strengths and significant weaknesses. Specifically, gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) is relatively lower across the group, with the notable exception of China. Research consistently suggests that the innovation gap between most BRICS nations and leaders like South Korea remains wide, and member countries excluding China have significant catching up to do according to various innovation indicators. With the expansion into BRICS+, the innovation systems of new members also require careful assessment and targeted strengthening. This capacity-building effort could become a top priority for BRICS over the next decade, with the potential to eventually replicate these improvements across the broader Global South.
As noted by Stanford University visiting scholar Irina Dzezhina, the increasing heterogeneity of new members in terms of both economic development and scientific capacity makes it more difficult to reconcile differing interests and priorities within a single framework. Consequently, BRICS+ may need to focus on catalysing new “paired links” or smaller, focused collaborations between specific members who share complementary strengths. Comparisons to the European Union (EU) suggest that BRICS could learn valuable lessons from the EU’s wide variety of mature STI programmes, as BRICS currently offers more limited options. Further, although competition for limited funding is intense, the total funding available for collaborative projects remains modest and needs to be scaled up significantly.
Experts suggest that these programmes must reach a new qualitative level to effectively respond to major global challenges. Currently, however, research into STI cooperation among BRICS nations is itself limited, and the existing mechanism lacks a dedicated framework for regular study to provide data-driven, evidence-based inputs to member countries.
While BRICS countries have achieved significant collaboration, there are fundamental questions regarding whether the current framework is sufficient for future needs. A primary concern is the lack of a permanent, dedicated mechanism to manage STI cooperation. The current system, where the lead role rotates annually with the presidency, is not ideally suited for managing long-term, multi-year research projects. BRICS could potentially model a central mechanism after the EU’s highly successful Horizon Program, establishing a permanent Secretariat to manage dedicated funds, issue coordinated calls for proposals, monitor progress, and review outcomes on a continuous basis.
Developing a few ambitious, long-term Mega-science Projects could also foster deeper, more sustained cooperation and create a visible symbol of the partnership’s capabilities. The framework for STI cooperation should eventually expand beyond just funding science and technology projects; it should also promote research into the governance of STI itself and the societal impact of emerging technologies on BRICS+ nations. This would facilitate greater coherence in international treaty negotiations and help build much-needed capacity for STI governance across the Global South.
In conclusion, while STI cooperation within BRICS has progressed significantly since 2015 despite various structural constraints, there is substantial room for improvement and deepening. Making the framework more effective, agile, and credible will enhance the group’s overall legitimacy and influence in the global arena. As the chair of BRICS+ in 2026, India has a unique and significant opportunity to lead this crucial transition, shaping the future of scientific collaboration for a truly multipolar world.
Questions and Answers
Q1: How has the focus of BRICS STI cooperation evolved since its early years?
A1: Initially, BRICS STI cooperation focused on basic science and enabling technologies. Over time, it has shifted towards prioritizing innovation, technology transfer, and socially relevant areas like energy, water, health, and the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, placing a premium on public health, vaccine research, and digital health.
Q2: What are some of the key achievements and ongoing challenges in BRICS STI collaboration?
A2: Key achievements include the establishment of the BRICS Technology Transfer Centre (TTC), the BRICS Institute of Future Networks, and a 2021 space cooperation agreement. Significant progress has been made in ICT and HPC. However, challenges include limited large-scale commercialisation of technologies, uneven participation from new member states, and modest total funding for collaborative projects.
Q3: What are the main structural weaknesses of the current BRICS STI cooperation framework?
A3: A primary weakness is the lack of a permanent mechanism to manage STI cooperation. The current system rotates annually with the presidency, which is not ideal for long-term projects. Experts also note that the total funding available is modest, and the framework could benefit from modelling itself after more mature programmes like the EU’s Horizon Program, with a dedicated secretariat.
Q4: What was significant about the 2025 BRICS Declaration on AI?
A4: The 2025 Declaration on AI elevated artificial intelligence from a sub-theme to a central pillar of multilateral governance within BRICS. It outlined a vision for AI governance that is equitable, inclusive, and development-oriented, moving the partnership towards strategic collaboration with direct economic and social relevance, and countering dominant Western technological narratives.
Q5: What opportunity does India’s 2026 Presidency of BRICS+ present?
A5: As the chair of BRICS+ in 2026, with the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, India has a unique opportunity to lead the transition towards a more effective, agile, and credible STI framework. This includes potentially establishing a permanent secretariat, launching mega-science projects, and better integrating new members to deepen scientific partnerships.
