Date: 18/03/2008
Source: Department of Science and Technology
Title: SA: Mangena: Acceptance of Honorary Doctorate in Applied Science

Acceptance speech of an Honorary Doctorate in Applied Sciences by Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena at the Vaal University of Technology

Chancellor, Mr Tokyo Sexwale
Vice Chancellor and Principal, Prof. IN Moutlana
Chairperson of Council, Clr VRP Skosana
Deputy Chairperson of Council, Mr AA Maseko
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic, Prof HA Louw
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Resources and Planning, Prof P Naidoo
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Institutional Support, Prof GN Zide
Registrar: Academic Support, Dr TD Mokoena
Executive Dean: Applied and Computer Science, Prof BR Mabuza
Executive Dean: Engineering and Technology, Prof LM Masu
Guest Speaker/Vaal University of Technology Council Member, Dr DS Phaho
University academic and professional staff
Grandaunts
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

I truly appreciate the opportunity of sharing with young people at the threshold of their careers some of the exciting developments taking place in our National System of Innovation. South Africa waits with optimism the contribution you will be making to our economy and our people. The 2001 National Research and Development Strategy emphasises the need to stimulate and enhance innovation, develop our human capital and enhance the governance of the public research and development fabric of South Africa.

We are mindful of the fact that it is those countries, the world over, which pay particular attention to science and technology that have flourishing economies.
We are looking to our science and technology community to lead us on to the development highway to accelerate our progress as a nation. To achieve this goal, we need innovators and innovations, even though I must concede that the presence of these elements alone in our society does not guarantee success.
Allow me to begin this short address by relating a rather sad story. Ten days ago, the international press, commenting in the wake of the huge increases in the price of crude oil, claimed that at least half a dozen major motor vehicle companies had now committed to the development of motor cars powered by the Lithium battery.

The Lithium battery was developed at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) here, in South Africa by South African scientists. Then, twenty years ago, some smart American businessmen arrived, bought the patents, funded further developments, and the Lithium technology was lost to us. The Lithium battery technology is today a multi-billion rand industry, and we will not reap any benefits despite the investments we made in its initial development. Unfortunately, that is not an isolated example. Just two years ago, we also lost our own thin film solar-cell technology, developed at the University of Johannesburg, to some far sighted entrepreneurs in Germany. This too is destined to be a multi billion rand industry.

I am particularly singling out these two examples as they highlight the opportunities we have lost in the context of the energy challenges we are now faced with. That is but a small portion of the milk that has been spilled from our national innovation cups. These are hard lessons, but what they have taught us is this: That benefits accruing from the ideas generated by our original and innovative minds are not necessarily going to profit our country and our people unless we take greater interest, not only in the promotion of these ideas, but also in their subsequent exploitation, commercialisation and management. To this end, we are taking a number of bold steps. One of these is the creation of a Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), a new public entity we hope to establish before the end of the year.

The Agency is designed to provide financial assistance to enable involved individuals or parties to develop and commercialise their technological innovations and inventions. The Agency will also draw together and integrate the management of disparate technological innovation initiatives at the early development stage. In isolation, an innovation is worth very little or nothing. For it to result in tangible benefits for the South African society, it needs to form a part of the entire innovation value chain. It is in this context that through the TIA we plan to connect the research and development performed at our higher education institutions and science councils to real industrial opportunities. The establishment of the TIA is not in itself an original concept in pursuing this course; we will be going down the road successfully pioneered by countries such as Finland, Singapore and Taiwan.

The TIA concept is closely aligned with another initiative government's policy on intellectual property derived from publicly financed research. This has been a grey area for far too long. Bitter experience has revealed the importance of establishing clarity and purposefulness on the matter. We thus developed a policy document and the attendant legislation. Specifically, the legislation provides for an enabling environment for intellectual property creation, protection, management and commercialisation. It also gives greater clarity on the ownership of intellectual property generated from publicly financed research. The policy further provides for the development of definite and clear obligations related to the ownership of such intellectual property. It articulates clearly defined benefits for the researchers to disclose their inventions to the institutions, and provides for access to skills and funding for the commercialisation of such inventions.

Through the legislation, we also provide a framework for capacity to be established to ensure that South African institutions have the ability to identify, protect and commercialise intellectual property arising from research conducted at those institutions. All these interventions will be supported and guided by the National Intellectual Property Management Office to be established by the same legislation.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are just some of the ways in which we plan to support the development of your innovative ideas, and those of your peers and colleagues. There are others. For some time it has been clear, even to the most casual observer, that unless we interest young people in the sciences, engineering and technology at an early age, chances are that these minds will be lost to the scientific disciplines forever. This is clearly something we cannot allow to happen. As a result, this has led directly to the establishment of a collaborative agreement between the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Education, to launch the Youth into Science Strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in March 2007.

To give effect to the provisions of the strategy, we have developed a plan to establish a network of science centres across the country. We hope the Vaal University of Technology will also support another science centre in this area.
Other initiatives supporting the strategy include the National Science Week; Mathematics and Science Camps; Educator Support Programmes; increased support for existing science centres; and the mobilisation of the corporate sector in support of science awareness campaigns. The number of science centres has increased from nine to 17 in the past three years alone, and our long term goal is to have one in every district. We cannot afford to waste our best young minds to the detriment of the development of our national system of innovation and the well-being of our society.

These initiatives are, of course, all part of a larger plan, the ten year plan on innovation in South Africa that charts the course for enhancing innovation, and its contribution to sustained economic growth over the next decade. In this plan, my department has selected key development focus areas identified as the grand challenges. These include:

The challenge to develop our bio-economy
We have the good fortune to live in a country hosting the world's third-largest biodiversity resource base, which provides us with a solid foundation of expertise. The need is to systematically manage the product value chain to exploit these advantages for the establishment of a globally competitive neutricitical and pharmaceutical industry.

The challenge of Space Science and Technology
One of the ways we are responding to this challenge is through the establishment of a National Space Agency (NSA), which will assist us to grow and manage, in a co-ordinated fashion, our satellite industry and a range of innovations in space sciences, earth observation, communications and navigation. In this way, we hope to pool together these resources to provide substantial socio-economic benefits.

The challenge to provide Energy Security
South Africa is not alone in grappling with the issue of adequate energy supply. The productive capabilities of emerging economies are dependent on a secure supply of safe, clean, affordable and reliable energy. Working closely with industry, we look to exploring opportunities in clean coal technologies, nuclear energy, renewable energy, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, and other promising possibilities.

The challenge of global climate change
South Africa's geographic position, unique biodiversity and a large base of expertise enables us to play a leading role in climate change science. We are positioned to serve as a unique laboratory, given our proximity to the Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, and the interactions between the Agulhas and Benguela currents. We plan to make a major contribution to the understanding of climate change and its implications, and to offer the world workable modelled solutions.

The fifth challenge is around human and social dynamics
These dynamics are at the core of nearly every major challenge facing South Africa from climate change to creating a competitive and innovative workforce. This is probably the greatest challenge of all to increase our ability to anticipate the complex consequences of change; to better understand the dynamics of both human and social behaviour at all levels the cognitive and social structures that create and define change; and to help people and organisations better manage profound or rapid change.

These are the challenges around which we plan to channel the energies of our system of innovation, but that does not mean they are the only challenges.

Another important matter we are grappling with is the promotion and protection of our Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The knowledge held by individuals, and the collective knowledge of communities is the only real competitive advantage that any country can enjoy. We cannot afford to lose this knowledge. A central challenge for governments throughout the world is how to provide the necessary protection for their indigenous knowledge systems. Unregulated exploitation and misappropriation of indigenous knowledge, together with bio-piracy, will erode the rights of indigenous knowledge holders, and adversely affect conservation and sustainable use of our bio-diversity and its related knowledge.

At the moment we have developed a South African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) policy. But we need the legislation to significantly protect, develop and promote indigenous knowledge systems, and help improve the livelihood and economic well being of our communities by ensuring, among others, equitable and fair benefit sharing for the knowledge holders. But the hard fact is that none of these efforts can succeed without skilled and competent people to drive, teach and inspire others towards the development of this country. That is precisely where our Human Capital Development Strategy (HCDS) fits in. Our country must attract, develop and retain growing numbers of qualified researchers and scientists. In the last two years, we have established 72 research chairs at our higher education institutions, and 16 of these are in new disciplines.

Our target is to establish 210 research chairs by 2010. Our aim is to grow high-level research capital and production capacity in our higher education sector and industry. Although what we have achieved is not yet enough, we are very proud of the wonderful people that are engaged in this critical initiative.
Nevertheless, on occasions like this I cannot give you more than a glimpse into the thinking that drives the scientific and technological developments in our country. What I need to emphasise, however, is that South Africa cannot progress at the required rate without your efforts and contributions. I sincerely hope as new graduates, you will prosper and add value to the scientific community.
Science is at the core of the development of any society, and it is up to you to carry South Africa's scientific banner forward with pride.

Thank you for your attention.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
18 March 2008