Russia has proposed creating a shared scientific infrastructure among the BRICS countries, with the aim of pooling technological capabilities and accelerating research in key areas such as medicine, genetics and materials science.
The initiative was presented by the Russian Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Konstantin Moguilevsky, during the 13th Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation of the bloc, held in Brazil. He said the BRICS - which initially grouped Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and as of January 2024 incorporated Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia - account for more than half of the world’s population, giving them a “natural competitive advantage.”
“Scientific cooperation between our countries can become a driver of technological sovereignty. If we share resources, knowledge and data, we will advance much faster in strategic research,” Moguilevsky told the press.
One of the axes of this proposal is the creation of joint international databases in high-impact fields. In particular, it is proposed to focus efforts on biomedicine, biotechnology, genetic studies and new materials, sectors where applied knowledge is essential for industrial and health development.
These databases would serve as open platforms for researchers from BRICS member countries, allowing shared access to experimental results, publications, genetic materials, clinical samples and emerging technologies. The aim is to reduce dependence on scientific infrastructures controlled by Western powers.
The proposal will be discussed in the coming months within the BRICS specialized working group for biomedicine and biotechnologies, a scientific cooperation body launched in recent years to address common challenges such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance and chronic diseases.
In addition to the technical benefits, Russia believes that this type of collaboration can strengthen the bloc’s strategic autonomy. “In a world where scientific data is power, we need shared institutions that allow us to have control over our own development,” said the deputy minister.
The ministerial meeting also addressed other issues linked to strengthening the group’s technological capabilities, such as the training of young scientists, university exchanges, and the coordination of space, artificial intelligence and energy transition projects.
The shared scientific strategy is seen as part of a structural shift towards a more balanced multilateralism, in which innovation is not monopolized by the global North, but also arises from alliances between countries of the South.