Research and development (R&D) in the fields of science and technology should form an integral part in tackling some of South Africa's core developmental challenges, said Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Council for Science and Industrial Research biennial conference, the Minister said that South Africa had shown a gradual decrease in industrialisation trends, as well as a reduction in investment in the R&D space in recent years.

However, she noted that it was important to repair the country's institutional framework to enable its science councils to respond to developmental challenges, such as rural development, energy security, food security, health issues and the effective use of natural resources.

Science and Technology Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson Nqaba Ngcobo agreed, saying that science would play an integral part in meeting the country's national priorities. "A stronger science and technology sector in South Africa is a necessity and not a luxury, if we have any chance of meeting our developmental goals."

In this regard, Ngcobo pointed out that investment and funding played an integral role in the development of the field of science, which ultimately, would be a key driver behind growing the country's economy.

He noted that industrialised countries usually spend between 1,5% and 3,8% of gross domestic product (GDP) on R&D, while South Africa has been pursuing a 1% target for almost five years.

R&D investment generally reflected a government's willingness to forgo current operations, or profit, to improve future performance or returns, and thus did not always take prominence in developing and undeveloped countries, which had to meet a number of other priorities.

Nevertheless, Ngcobo hoped that South Africa would soon see GDP spend of over 1% and "hopefully closer" to 1,5%.

He emphasised that the development of science and technology fields had a direct correlation to a country's growth, and would assist South Africa in reaching its ambitious target of a sustainable 7% growth over the next 20 to 30 years.

Meanwhile, Pandor said that South Africa's science and technology sector would be a key enabler and driver of its newly published Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP2010).

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) was called on to be directly involved in three projects identified in the industrial plan, which included two vaccine development projects and one project in advanced manufacturing.

The DST would also assist with 18 other projects listed in the IPAP2010, including the development of South Africa's first electric car.

Further, Pandor said that science and innovation would play a vital role in the development of a green economy in South Africa. "R&D in science and technology is necessary to develop cleaner energy alternatives, to reduce emissions and improve air quality, to protect our natural resources, and to meet a growing global demand for green technologies, which all form part of the department's ten-year innovation plan.

"R&D will lay the foundation necessary to turn South Africa into a truly modernised and advanced economy."

Ngcobo warned that if business continued as usual, the disparities between industrialised economies, and developing and undeveloped economies would just grow larger.

"As a developing economy, South Africa has the opportunity and capacity to further build its social science, as well as its high-end technology capacities," he concluded.