In 2020, the BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation Framework Programme identified quantum technologies and computing as critical areas for collaborative research. According to Quantum Zeitgeist, the Framework Programme prioritized these fields as part of its evolving thematic focus areas for multilateral project calls.
Since its launch in 2016, the BRICS STI Framework Programme has conducted multiple coordinated calls for multilateral research projects. Earlier calls in 2016, 2017, and 2019 had included adjacent topics such as high-performance computing and nanotechnology. A 2019 call funded projects in nanomaterials for quantum satellite and fiber communication, according to a Science|Business report.
Russia and China had also begun collaborative quantum satellite experiments in 2020, when Russian researchers at the Zvenigorod observatory near Moscow set up a ground station to work with China’s Mozi quantum satellite team. The inclusion of quantum technologies in the Framework Programme’s priorities formalized a research area where individual BRICS members were already investing at the national level.