APEC Science Meeting To Focus On Capacity Building For Sustainable Growth

Seventeen of 21 APEC economies met in Rotorua today to undertake planning for the next APEC Science Ministerial Meeting in March 2004 in Christchurch. Rotorua was chosen at short notice for the meeting, jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia after the scheduled Singapore meeting was relocated due to the SARS outbreak.

Dr Wynn Ingram, head of the New Zealand delegation, said the member economies had today agreed that the main theme for the March meeting would be ‘enhancing the capacity of science, technology and innovation to deliver sustainable growth’ across the APEC region.

“The Ministerial meeting in March 2004 will be a significant event, defining the future direction of RST cooperation among APEC economies.” Dr Ingram said.

The Ministry of Research, Science and Technology has taken the initiative to also hold in Christchurch in March, alongside the Ministerial, an Innovation Showcase where the selected leading edge science and technology enterprises from New Zealand and the APEC region will be promoted through an exhibition, business exchanges, company visits and symposia.

Public and private sector research and development leaders from the 21 APEC economies will also be involved with a 2-day conference and workshops exploring the theme “capturing value from science.” The theme will consider social, economic and environmental values and how these can be enhanced by science through improving the management of tensions in a knowledge society, improving the management of intellectual property and new scientific opportunities.

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