Issued by: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
MEDIA STATEMENT BY DR B S NGUBANE, MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
NATIONAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY AUDIT
A National Research and Technology Audit will be undertaken by the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST). The Audit will be an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of South Africa's science and technology (S&T) system. This effort will not be limited to publically funded S&T, but also encompass the contribution and activities of the private sector. The legislation required to accomplish the objectives of the Government's White Paper on Science and Technology, which is set to follow from the recently published Green Paper, will use information obtained through the Audit. The Audit will also dovetail closely with the recently announced Research and Technology Foresight Exercise.
The Audit will be managed by the Foundation for Research Development (FRD) and make use of international expertise as well as engineering and social science skills from relevant South African universities and technikons, research institutions, and private companies. The management team will liaise on a weekly basis with DACST, which is ultimately accountable for the project. Furthermore, the management team will be advised by a panel whose members have been deliberately selected to ensure high quality advice across a broad range of scientific and industrial sectors.
The Audit, which will take between nine and 12 months to complete, will include:
- Assessing existing government interventions in science, engineering and technology. - Undertaking an innovation survey of the South African Science, Engineering and Technology System and briefing the White Paper task team on the findings. - The undertaking of a research and technology inventory of the South African economy. - Assessing the implications of the inventory. - Scoping potential future trends for South Africa, in consultation with the Research and Technology Foresight Exercise. - Assist in developing a framework for research and technology policies in consultation with the Research and Technology Foresight Exercise. - Providing guidelines for implementation scenarios and programmes.
A database will be compiled in terms of national as well as regional categories. National categories will include, for example, research and development indicators, an industrial sector analysis, numbers and types of scientists and engineers involved, employment impact and demographics. Regional categories will contain information, inter alia, on the specific area, industry, major research institutions, local technikons and universities, supporting infrastructure and quality of life/basic needs indicators (e.g. housing, health care). Information will be gathered per industrial sector, for example manufacturing, materials, biotechnology, electronics, computer hardware and software, environmental sciences and telecommunications. The database will be maintained and updated regularly by DACST in consultation with the project management team.
I envisage that this database will be a national asset in that it will be on line and electronically accessible by South Africans as well as potential foreign investors. In this sense I believe that the successful completion of the Audit will be an important step in helping us reverse disturbing downward trends revealed by the recently released World Competitiveness Report.
The Audit project management team may be reached by contacting Dr I Amuah at:
National Research & Technology Audit P O Box 2600 Pretoria 0001 South Africa Tel: 27-12-481-4016 Fax: 27-12-349-1179 E-mail: isaac@frd.ac.za
Dr R M Adam, Deputy Director-General (Science and Technology) will oversee the project on behalf of the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and may be contacted at:
Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Private Bag X894 Pretoria 0001 South Africa Tel: 27-12-314-6144 Fax: 27-12-326-7277 or 27-12-323-8308 E-mail: adam@acts2.pwv.gov.za