Ministry of

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Strengthening S,T I Capacity for Sustainable
Growth and Poverty Reduction in
MozambiqueProf. Venâncio MassingueMinister of
Science TechnologyMOZAMBIQUE
Republic of Mozambique

• Washington DC, February 2007

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Country Background

• Area799,390 sq.Km
• Population (2005)
• Total 20,000,000
• Urban 31.0
• Rural 69.0
• Illiteracy Rate (2003)
• Overall 53.6
• Urban 30.3
• Rural 65.7
• Per Capita GDP (2004)USD320
• Ranking in HDI (2005)168th in 177 Countries
• Internet Usage Density
• (2004)2.7
• Tele-density
• Fix 0.36
• Mobile 8.6
• (source INE www.ine.gov.mz)

• Mozambique Basic Indicators

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Country Background Economic Drivers

• Mozambique with now about 20 million of
  population, is a rich country in natural
  resources such us Hydroelectricity, Gas, Coal,
  Minerals, Timber, fertile agriculture and long
  marine coast.
• Main exports Sea products, Sugar, Cashew nuts,
  Tea, Coconuts, Aluminum, Timber.
• Main ports Maputo, Beira and Nacala

Nacala
Beira
Maputo
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The vision of the GoM on ST- Challenges
Opportunities- 

• Vision To guarantee an ubiquitous and equitable
  availability and use of STI and ICTs as a right
  of all Mozambicans
• Challanges and Opportunities
• Gov of Mozambique has declared ST as the primary
  productive force for the development
• ST activities directed to areas where largest
  impact may be achieved through research lines and
  programmes in each startegic area
• Focus on promotion of multidisciplinary,
  multi-stakeholder research targeted to problems
  affecting the most vulnerable social groups.

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Challenges Opportunities
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Science Technology Strategic Areas

• In our strategy we intend to address the
  following areas
• Human Resource Development,
• Education,
• Agriculture,
• Energy,
• Marine Sciences and Fishing,
• Construction,
• Water,
• Mineral Resources

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Science Technology Strategic Crosscutting Areas

• The strategic crosscutting areas include
• Social and Human Sciences and Culture
• Gender Equity
• HIV/AIDS
• Environmental sustainability
• Ethno-botany
• The enabling areas acting as catalysts of the
  development of strategic areas are
• ICT
• Biotechnology

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Short, medium and long Strategic Objectives of
Science Technology

• Foster a culture of innovation throughout
  Mozambican society
• Promote grass-roots innovation and the use of
  ST-based approaches by poor and disadvantaged
  communities
• Promote RD and innovation within the public and
  private sectors
• Promote technology transfer
• Promote the use of ICTs for good governance and
  service delivery, and for the diffusion of
  knowledge, in support of poverty reduction and
  economic growth

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Short, medium and long term Strategic Objectives
of Science Technology

• Promote human resource development at all levels
  in the areas of science, technology and
  innovation
• Build and improve the policy instruments,
  institutions and infrastructure of the ST
  system
• Establish funding policies and mechanisms for
  research and innovation
• Review, evaluate and enhance the performance of
  the ST system
• Promote the mainstreaming of ST within all
  sectors.

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On going Programmes

• Mainstreaming of ST into all sectors after its
  establichment in to PARPA
• Regional Centers of Science and Technology
  (CRCT)
• Implementation of research statutes and carrier
  path
• Implementation of National Research Fund
• Basic Science Programme
• Mobility of Scientists
• Five Thematic Scientific Councils established
• Agriculture, Energy Ethno-botanic Health and
  Water.

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On going Programmes (cont.)

• Human Resource Development
• Millenium Village Programme to support MDGs
• Scientific Expedition Programme (More balance
  between Meetings Fieldwork)
• Coordination
• Two annual meetings with researchers and research
  academic institutions
• One bi-annual meeting with partners

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The challenges for all

• Establishment of an international agenda with
  Science and Technology as a driver for the
  socio-economic development
• Establishment of Financing Mechanisms for ST
• Promotion of development and implementation of
  national ST strategies linked to national
  development programmes
• Promotion of establishment of ST indicators for
  economic growth and wealth creation.

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Thank you
EMAIL venancio.massingue_at_mct.gov.mz Portals
www.mct.gov.mz www.mozambique.gov.mz