Science and technology and advances in knowledge have for centuries played a central role in economic and social transformation. Today, more than ever, they are set to shape the future of humankind. The challenge facing the international community as well as local communities in the new century is how to harness and direct knowledge in the service of local, national and global needs. In its Report titled the Challenge to the South, the South Commission commenting on the measures needed to address the challenges of generating and accessing innovations and knowledge observed inter alia that:

Unless the South learns to harness the forces of modern science and technology, it has no chance of fulfilling its developmental aspirations or its yearning for an effective voice in the management of global interdependence. All societies must therefore mount a determined effort to absorb, adapt, and assimilate new technological advances as part of their development strategies. Simultaneously, their technological, economic, and social structures must acquire a built-in inducement and capacity to generate new technologies in accordance with their developmental needs.