TÜBİTAK President, Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, attended the G20 Research and Innovation Meeting (RIMM) held at the CSIR International Conference Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, on 23 September 2025.
The G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG), coordinated nationally by TÜBİTAK, continues its work to strengthen cooperation in science, technology and innovation policies among G20 countries, identify common priorities and contribute to sustainable development. Activities within this framework were concluded with the meeting hosted by the South African Presidency.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Aydın highlighted the critical role of science and technology in combating global issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, disaster preparedness and public health. Emphasising the importance of open innovation and open science in achieving sustainable development goals, Aydın stated that Türkiye strongly supports G20 initiatives aimed at reducing disaster risks, increasing water resilience and protecting biodiversity.
Prof. Dr. Aydın stated that women and girls playing a more active role in science and technology is among Türkiye's priority policies, emphasising that inclusivity is indispensable in achieving development goals.
The Tshwane Declaration, adopted at the end of the meeting, set out the vision of ‘Science, Technology and Innovation for Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’. The Declaration focused on three priority areas: Open Innovation for Sustainable Development, Biodiversity Knowledge for Sustainable Development, and Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Accessibility in Science, Technology and Innovation. Furthermore, within the scope of the Tshwane Package, which is part of the declaration, concrete outcomes such as the G20 Open Innovation Platform were adopted.
Numerous bilateral meetings were also held during the meeting. These meetings were important in terms of Türkiye's evaluation of international cooperation opportunities and increasing its effectiveness in the field of science diplomacy.
The full text of the adopted Tshwane Declaration can be accessed from the file below.
