Spending on scientific research and development (R&D) in South
Africa is still well below what it was in the early 1990s, before
the election of the country's first democratic government,
according to Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi
Mangena.
Opening debate in an extended public committee of the National Assembly on his budget vote yesterday, he said his newly-created department had received only a tenth of the funds it requested for new and additional resources.
Current levels of R&D spending in South Africa -- which ideally should equal at least 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) -- were currently about R2-billion below what they should be.
"After... 1990, the government of the day drastically curtailed its strategic technology-based missions, such as its nuclear capability and the technology platform underpinning South Africa's military dominance in the subcontinent.
"This had a profound effect on research and development in our country, with total expenditure across public and private sectors falling from 1,04% of GDP in 1991, to 0,75% in 1993."
Mangena said the post-1994 government had inherited a science system with its key drivers removed.
"The challenge (then) was to motivate our scientists by redirecting them towards new missions of national competitiveness and quality of life, and to produce a cohort of young scientists more representative of South Africa's people.
"Unfortunately, in the face of these challenges, the national R&D expenditure fell still further to 0,69% in 1997.”
But, a recent survey by his department showed R&D spending in the 2001/02 financial year had risen to 0,76% of GDP, over half of which was carried out by the private sector.
"However, we need to raise this level of investment to at least 1% of GDP, which is the target we set ourselves in the 2002 Research and Development Strategy.
"In our estimation we are still about R2-billion per annum short of this target. About half of this shortfall should come from government, and the other half from the private sector.
"In the current budget, the tight fiscal conditions and pressing social and infrastructural needs resulted in the budget request of R1-billion new and additional resources being trimmed in the ultimate allocation to around one tenth of the amount.
“This amount "did not meet our expectations".
Mangena said besides a lack of investment, research in South Africa also suffered as a result of a shortage of experienced, skilled scientists.
"It is often said that technology walks on two legs; you can secure the intellectual property deriving from a research programme, but unless you also attract and keep the people who can understand and apply it, your patents are sterile.
"How do we then attract young people, particularly young black people, to careers in science, engineering and technology? This is not an easily answered question.
"We need to systematically target black youngsters with ability, to provide career guidance and inspiration. These things need to happen quickly, but as a whole, the school system cannot necessarily respond that quickly.
"This means we have to separate issues. For example, given that there are only a few thousand black matriculants with appropriate passes in mathematics, would it be that hard to double the number?"
Mangena said there had been a number of positive international developments for South African science recently.
"These include the signing of crucial co-operation agreements with countries like Japan, Republic of Korea, Brazil and Malaysia; the development of a solid science platform in the trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa engagement, and the leveraging of significant new funds for South African and African science and technology from international agencies and foreign countries.
"The (department) is planning further strategic expansion of South Africa's science and technology international profile in the next year as a continuation of our successful sojourns in the global environment in the last year.
"The 2004/5 financial year will be characterised by the intensified implementation of these new agreements and plans, and an increase in South Africa's science and technology footprint on the world stage," he said. – Sapa.
Opening debate in an extended public committee of the National Assembly on his budget vote yesterday, he said his newly-created department had received only a tenth of the funds it requested for new and additional resources.
Current levels of R&D spending in South Africa -- which ideally should equal at least 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) -- were currently about R2-billion below what they should be.
"After... 1990, the government of the day drastically curtailed its strategic technology-based missions, such as its nuclear capability and the technology platform underpinning South Africa's military dominance in the subcontinent.
"This had a profound effect on research and development in our country, with total expenditure across public and private sectors falling from 1,04% of GDP in 1991, to 0,75% in 1993."
Mangena said the post-1994 government had inherited a science system with its key drivers removed.
"The challenge (then) was to motivate our scientists by redirecting them towards new missions of national competitiveness and quality of life, and to produce a cohort of young scientists more representative of South Africa's people.
"Unfortunately, in the face of these challenges, the national R&D expenditure fell still further to 0,69% in 1997.”
But, a recent survey by his department showed R&D spending in the 2001/02 financial year had risen to 0,76% of GDP, over half of which was carried out by the private sector.
"However, we need to raise this level of investment to at least 1% of GDP, which is the target we set ourselves in the 2002 Research and Development Strategy.
"In our estimation we are still about R2-billion per annum short of this target. About half of this shortfall should come from government, and the other half from the private sector.
"In the current budget, the tight fiscal conditions and pressing social and infrastructural needs resulted in the budget request of R1-billion new and additional resources being trimmed in the ultimate allocation to around one tenth of the amount.
“This amount "did not meet our expectations".
Mangena said besides a lack of investment, research in South Africa also suffered as a result of a shortage of experienced, skilled scientists.
"It is often said that technology walks on two legs; you can secure the intellectual property deriving from a research programme, but unless you also attract and keep the people who can understand and apply it, your patents are sterile.
"How do we then attract young people, particularly young black people, to careers in science, engineering and technology? This is not an easily answered question.
"We need to systematically target black youngsters with ability, to provide career guidance and inspiration. These things need to happen quickly, but as a whole, the school system cannot necessarily respond that quickly.
"This means we have to separate issues. For example, given that there are only a few thousand black matriculants with appropriate passes in mathematics, would it be that hard to double the number?"
Mangena said there had been a number of positive international developments for South African science recently.
"These include the signing of crucial co-operation agreements with countries like Japan, Republic of Korea, Brazil and Malaysia; the development of a solid science platform in the trilateral India-Brazil-South Africa engagement, and the leveraging of significant new funds for South African and African science and technology from international agencies and foreign countries.
"The (department) is planning further strategic expansion of South Africa's science and technology international profile in the next year as a continuation of our successful sojourns in the global environment in the last year.
"The 2004/5 financial year will be characterised by the intensified implementation of these new agreements and plans, and an increase in South Africa's science and technology footprint on the world stage," he said. – Sapa.
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