South Africa and Italy signed a Science and Technology Agreement in 1998, identifying the following scientific research areas: Material, Physical, Medical and Social Sciences; Industrial Research and Technological Innovations; Agricultural Science; and Environmental Protection and Ecology. An executive programme was signed in 2007 and opens the way for further collaborative projects in R&D. A total of 25 projects were awarded under the Executive Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation between South Africa and Italy for the period 2008 to 2010. The thematic areas funded are in Agriculture, Energy and the Environment, Biotechnology, Nanosciences, ICT, Medicine and Health and New and Advanced Materials.
Subsequent to the signing of the executive programme, Italy has expressed interest in collaborating with South Africa on initiatives related to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope and Synchrotron research. These two areas will see growth in the existing collaboration between the two countries. Italy has been instrumental in ensuring that the African component of ICGEB is established in Cape Town.
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