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South African
National System of Innovation (NSI)
Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology,
Republic of South Africa
14 February 2007
SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY AT A GLANCE
Population of 47 million
GDP of $227bn (22nd largest economy)
GDP growth of 4.9% (8 years of consistent
growth)
High level of business confidence
Diversified economy
BUT …….
 High level of inequality - Gini coefficient of 0,58
 High unemployment (25% of work force)
 HDI ranked 120 out of 177 countries (2003)
 Life expectancy of 51 years
 HIV prevalence: 1 out of 6 of all people aged 15
to 49 years
 24% of adults over 15yrs are functionally
illiterate
PRE 1994 SCIENCE ENVIRONMENT
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCIENCE SYSTEM PRE 1994
 Exclusion of black people from SET careers; and
 Isolationist approach: R&D expenditure mainly on defence and energy
APARTHEID EDUCATION
 "Native education should be controlled in such a way that it should
be in accord with the policy of the state…If the native in South
Africa today in any kind of school in existence is being taught to
expect that he will live his life under the policy of equal rights ,he
is making a big mistake…There is no place for him in the European
community above the level of certain forms of labour…".
Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, Minister of Native Affairs, 1953
LEGACY IS STILL WITH US
 Black learners remain disadvantaged in Maths and Science
 Out of 740 000 learners wrote matric exams last year, less than 10%
wrote Maths in higher grade – almost 50% FAILED
Accelerated & Shared Growth Initiative:
2014 targets
Raise growth to 6%
Halve unemployment: from 30% to 15%
Halve poverty: from 1/3 of households
down to 1/6
The evolution of policies underpinning the NSI
Vision of
Reconstruction and
Development
1994
WHITE PAPER ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 1996
R&D STRATEGY
2002
BIOTECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY
2001
ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING
TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY
2003
INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE
SYSTEMS
STRATEGY
2004
NANOTECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY
2006
Comprehensive Implementation Plans
INFORMATION
AND
COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY
2007
PILLARS OF THE NSI
INNOVATION
Human Capital
Development
Alignment and
Delivery
 Key to economic growth and competitiveness
 Quality of life for all




Addressing the legacy – top priority
Science Centres
Maths/Science Development Camps
Maths and Science dedicated schools
 Provides strategic direction and support through
the NSI
 Research Chairs
 Centres of Excellence
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY LANDSCAPE
Economic Growth
Poverty reduction
Quality of Life
Vision
2014
White Paper on
Science and
Technology
National R&D
Strategy
Advanced
Manufacturing
Technology
Strategy
Biotechnology
Strategy
Information &
Communications
Technology
Strategy
Nanotechnology
Strategy
Indigenous
Knowledge
Systems Strategy
S&T ACTORS AND STAKEHOLDERS
Government
International
Partners
NGOs
Social
Business
OBJECTIVES
Education
Institutions
Economic
Science
Councils
Research
Institutions
State
Corporations
WHAT GUIDED US IN CHOOSING
PRIORITY AREAS
1.
Some areas are absolutely necessary for national
competitiveness, for any size of country, e.g. information
technology, biotechnology. Omit these at your peril!
2.
Other areas present some “geographic” advantage, e.g.
astronomy & “human origins” for South Africa.
3.
Other areas present a “knowledge” advantage, e.g.
traditional knowledge or deep level mining for South Africa.
4.
Self-selected areas representing “critical problems”, e.g.
HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
National Competitiveness :
BIOTECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
 INNOVATION CENTRES
 Finance & business support
 Technology Platforms/infrastructure
 Cluster development / networking
 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
 Public engagement
 Inter-departmental coordination
 Policy review/development
 FRONTIER BIOTECHNOLOGY
 Frontier programmes
 International science participation
 STRATEGIC ADVICE
 Biotechnology Advisory Committee
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET….
South Africa recently won the bid to host the third component of the
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
(ICGEB), which will be hosted by the Institute for Infectious Diseases
and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town
 The other two components are housed in (Trieste) Italy and (New Delhi) India
 ICGEB’s primary focus in the field of Biotechnology is on HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria – an
enormous contribution in meeting the MDG goals
National Competitiveness : ICT
CURRENT SITUATION
 The country’s investment in ICT in general and
ICT R&D (10%) specifically is far below that of
its OECD counterparts (30%)
 High telecommunication costs and poor
bandwidth
 Tele-density of fixed line is low by worlds’
standards
MEASURES INTRODUCED
 Establishment of the Centre for High
Performance Computing
 Open Source Software promotion
 SANReN – a high speed network that will
enable the exchange of research data between
the country’s research institutes and
counterparts around the world
GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE
Fluorine technology
Biodiversity
Human origins
Astronomy
ASTRONOMY – THIS IS THE RESULT…
SOUTHERN AFRICAN
LARGEST TELESCOPE (SALT)
 The single largest optical telescope in
Southern Hemisphere, and is a
culmination of multilateral partnerships
between SA, New Zealand, Germany,
Poland, United Kingdom, India, Russia
and the US.
 A gateway through which we can
observe our earliest stars, learn more
about the formation of our galaxy.
ON THE WAY …..
SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY (SKA)




A €1.5 bn international project to
create receiving surface of a
million square metres
The SKA will provide data for a
whole range of astronomical
investigations
South Africa short listed along
Australia for the hosting of this
world’s largest radio telescope
Bid winner is to be announced in
2011
AND MORE…..
SUMBANDILA SATELLITE
 Will be launched in Russia in June this
year
 Building Africa’s capacity for earth
observation data
 Constructed locally, this low earth
orbiting Satellite is part of multimillion
rand integrated capacity building and
satellite project
 SumbandilaSat will generate imagery
that will support decision making areas
such as natural resources, agriculture,
urban planning and other applications
HUMAN ORIGINS
PALAEOANTHROPOLOGICAL
RESEARCH
 The earliest evidence of the
origins of life on the planet at
the Vredefort Dome World
Heritage Site
 The most prolific evidence of
early human ancestry
anywhere in the world at the
Cradle of Humankind World
Heritage Site
THIS IS THE RESULT…
CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
 Major sites of research
 Scientific visitor
interpretation centre
 Public awareness
CRITICAL PROBLEM AREA
HIV VACCINE
 South Africa is actively engaged in HIV/AIDS vaccine
development
 The South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) was
established in 1999 and is tasked with the development
of an affordable, effective vaccine for the country
 SAAVI enjoys close collaboration with many other global
players in the field, including the US’s National Health
Institute and International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
 The vaccine is going on the Phase 1 clinical trial at the
end of the year
CRITICAL PROBLEM AREA
SOUTH AFRICAN MALARIA INITIATIVE
(SAMI)
 Malaria kills over 3000 children each day in SubSaharan Africa
 SAMI was established in 2006 and aims to bring
together key researchers in the country with a
focus on molecular aspects of malaria drug and
insecticide discovery
 Outcome of the SAMI programme will lead to
enhanced intellectual and human capital in the
country
KNOWLEDGE ADVANTAGE
Technology for poverty reduction
Indigenous knowledge
Technology for deep mining
Selected human health technologies
NEW CHALLENGE – CLIMATE CHANGE
CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY MISSION REQUIRED TO
ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE INCLUDING
Toward Zero Emission Strategies
 Energy efficiency strategy
Reducing fossil fuel dependence
Nuclear and Renewable sources
 Carbon credits
 Ecosystem and biodiversity management
Innovative mitigation and adaptation measures
OUR R&D INVESTMENT
% of GDP
GROSS EXPENDITURE AS % OF GDP(2005)
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
1991
0.76
0.747
0.81
0.87
0.68
% OF GDP
55% is
Private
Sector
R&D
Spend
1993
1997
2001
2003
2004
Target : 1% of GDP by 2008
SA VS OECD COUNTRIES
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF GERD AS A % OF
GDP
PERCENTAGE OF GDP 2005
3
2.33
2.5
USA
OECD average
1.93
2
EU average
1.53
Australia
1.5
China
1.09
1
0.96
Spain
0.87
SA
0.5
0.5
0.42
Malaysia
Argentina
0
USA
OECD
average
EU average
Australia
China
Spain
SA
Malaysia
Argentina
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES of SA’s
NSI
STRENGTHS
 Fiscal incentives for R&D
 Strong government support
 Policy and strategies
 Indicators and institutionalised R&D survey
 International Cooperation
 50 Bilateral partnerships
 OECD – Observer status on the Committee for Science and Technology
Policy
 SA Co-chairs the Group on Earth Observation
CHALLENGES
 Human Capital
 Weak link between knowledge generation and the real economy
CONTINENTAL INTITIATIVES
 SOUTH AFRICA HAS A VANGUARD ROLE IN
ADVANCING S&T IN THE CONTINENT
 AFRICAN MINISTERS’ COUNCIL OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY (AMCOST)
 THE AFRICAN PLAN OF ACTION
 EARLY SUCCESSES:



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AFRICAN LASER CENTRE (ALC)
AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES (AIMS)
WATER SCIENCES INITIATIVE
BIOSCIENCES INITIATIVE
THE FUTURE
Foundation for Technological Innovation (FTI)
 Moving towards the establishment of the FTI - an agency that will be
responsible for stimulating and enhancing technological innovation
 Address the innovation chasm
 Functions of the FTI
 Promote innovation and economic development by increasing capabilities
and network linkages of key players in the NSI ;
 Develop management information system of all government funded
innovation projects
 Improve the transfer of knowledge; and
 Evolve the development of new institutions e.g. Nanotechnology Institute.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FTI WILL COMPLETE THE INNOVATION FRAMEWORK;
CONTRIBUTE TO HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH
AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL
“Steadily
the dark clouds of despair are
lifting, giving way to our season of hope. Our
country, which for centuries has bled from a
thousand wounds, is progressing towards its
healing”.
Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa.
THANK YOU