The European Commission participated in the inaugural meetings of the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group and the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy

The first meeting of the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) under the G20 South African Presidency took place at the University of the Free State in the city of Bloemfontein from 23 to 25 February 2025. The focus was under three key priority areas:

1. Open Innovation for Sustainable Development,
2. Biodiversity Information for Sustainable Development, and
3. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science, Technology, and Innovation

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa, Prof. Blade Nzimande underlined the role of the RIWG to advance an agenda that is solidarity driven to promote science-based policy advice for sustainability. The EU stressed the importance of open innovation, biodiversity as well as closing the gender gap in STEM.  It also flagged the need of leveraging potential synergies between the work of the G20 RIWG on Open Innovation and the ongoing actions of the African Union-European Union Innovation Agenda.

The G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy was launched in 2024 and put forward 10 high level principles. This year, will see the implementation of these principles along three workstreams, mainly focusing on Africa and developing countries:

1. Bioeconomy as a concept for economic development
2. Financing the bioeconomy with policies, existing instruments and incentives, and
3. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks for the Bioeconomy. The meeting featured mainly presentations and case studies on implementation of bioeconomy approaches in Africa

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa organised side events on Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Women and Girls in STEM. Directorate-General for research and innovation colleagues participated in the G20 side event on Women and Girls in STEM and presented the EU policy framework promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within science and innovation and broader STEM fields. Concrete examples illustrating the EU's dedication to fostering an environment where all individuals, regardless of their background, have equal access to opportunities and resources in research and innovation, and EU actions aiming to close the gender gap in STEM have been shared by the Commission.

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Regional Dialogues and International Organisations