APEC’s Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) envisions that the APEC region will have achieved innovative economic growth by 2025. For details on this, read the PPSTI Strategic Plan 2016–2025.

The PPSTI’s mission is to “support the development of science and technology cooperation as well as effective science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations in APEC through collaboration between government, academia, private sector and other APEC fora.”

Formerly known as the Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG), the partnership was formed in 2012, when APEC agreed to broaden the group’s mandate to include innovation policy development and to intensify cooperation among governments, businesses and academia. When the ISTWG was renamed to the PPSTI, a new terms of reference outlining the PPSTI’s mandate and goals was endorsed.

Last page update: October 2020

16th Meeting of the Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI-16)

On August 27-28, the PPSTI virtually held its second meeting of 2020 (PPSTI-16). As part of this meeting, PPSTI hosted a COVID-19 Policy Dialogue that convened experts to assess and identify science, technology, and innovation (STI) opportunities, best practices, and tools to support the recovery of APEC economies.

Delegates from 19 member economies attended, along with representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), among others.

Highlights of PPSTI-16 are as follows:

• The PPSTI endorsed the PPSTI Statement on COVID-19, which supports the Statement on COVID-19 by APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade, and recognizes the importance of STI in the APEC region’s post-COVID-19 recovery.

• The PPSTI also endorsed the Statement on Open Science and reaffirmed the importance of sharing best practices and applying principles of openness, transparency, collaboration, and reciprocity, to support a swift, sustainable, and inclusive economic recovery.

• These statements will facilitate action towards building collaborative networks among APEC economies and contribute to the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth through the application of STI.

• The PPSTI also reaffirmed its commitment to the APEC Women in STEM Principles and Actions and committed to raising awareness and encouraging adoption of these principles within the APEC region.

• Through the PPSTI, APEC economies are working on several initiatives, including in the areas of the digital economy and digital technologies, green energy, and sustainable growth.

• Based on a decision made in 2015, the PPSTI will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its Strategic Plan (2016-2025) in 2021.

Women in STEM Principles and Actions

During the Third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) of 2019, the PPSTI developed the “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Principles and Actions,” which highlight the importance of encouraging women’s participation in STEM and of enhancing their capabilities and opportunities in these fields. Three principles were developed:

• Principle 1: Women in STEM Are Critical to Sustainable Economic Growth and Robust Science and Technology.
• Principle 2: Increased Representation of Women in STEM Matters.
• Principle 3: Overcoming social, cultural, and economic barriers Women in STEM face is important.

To learn more about this initiative, download this document.

The 2020 APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education, or ASPIRE

The APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (“ASPIRE”) is an annual award which recognizes young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to both excellence in scientific research, as evidenced by scholarly publication and cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies.    

Each year the APEC host economy is asked to provide a theme to guide nominations for the ASPIRE Prize to be awarded in their host year.  For its host year of 2020, Malaysia selects “Biodiversity for a Prosperous Economy” as the ASPIRE nominating theme. Biodiversity is foundational for human health as it underpins the functioning of our ecosystems and dependence for food and water, climate, floods and disease, and more. This theme focuses on scientists’ contributions to biodiversity for prosperous economies across the APEC region by spurring research that contributes to local livelihoods, both traditional and modern medicines, and economic development.

To read more about the award, the criteria for eligibility and the selection process, go to www.apec.org/aspire.