A region where science, technology and innovation drive sustainable social and economic development, alleviate poverty and disease, and underpin the creation of employment opportunities and wealth.
To promote regional cooperation through and in the development, mastery and transfer of science, technology and innovation by allocating, developing and securing appropriate resources, and developing and strengthening national systems of innovation, in order to:
Large volumes of studies have demonstrated that the wealth of nations is a direct product of scientific and technological advances embraced by such nations. If developing nations wish to be competitive and become an integral part of the developed league they will have to seriously consider strengthening their science, technology and innovation (STI) capacity. The task of achieving this state of affairs is challenging and hard but brings with it the rewards that can be realised in the long term.
Member States in the SADC region have realised that to make a dent in overcoming common regional challenges, they need to organise themselves as a block to ensure that priority is given to STI. This move is a giant step forward, in that science, technology and innovation have now been given their proper status and recognition as engines for economic growth and wealth creation. This move will assist Member States to address the serious challenges they face and will ultimately assist to facilitate the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) i.e. halving poverty, reducing infant mortality and halving unemployment by 2015. Although the attainment of the MDG's is important, the sub-Saharan Africa should not be obsessed with short-term objectives that could adversely affect long-term objectives of ensuring sustainable economic growth of the continent beyond 2015. The important caveat or requirement to that, is that Member States should not just be rhetoric in their support but need to invest their resources whether financial, human or otherwise.
The active participation of Member States will be a locomotive to realise deeper regional cooperation and integration. The region is in a process of establishing a desk to coordinate science, technology and innovation. The establishment of the desk is premised on the notion that, for nations to bring about better life for all, they must begin working as a collective on programmes and projects. Therefore, Member States will be working together over the next few years to ensure the operationalisation of the STI desk that will culminate in a fully-fledged STI unit. Under the framework of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) the goals and objectives of the region will be pursued and the unit will be instrumental in coordinating those activities.