10 February 2000
1 NATIONAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT (NRTF)
The National Research and Technology Foresight (NRTF) project aims to identify specific technologies and technology trends that will best improve the quality of life of all South Africans over the next 10-20 years. The technologies will impact on social issues and wealth creation through product or process development.
The Foresight exercise was conducted on 12 sectors namely:
as well as three cross cutting areas:
The foresight process has followed a combination of methodologies used elsewhere. These include doing environmental scanning and an international scan. Scenario work has also been included to allow participants to see the future in alternate ways and allow open minded approach to what might happen in future.
The sector working groups (SWGs) were the core operational component of each of the Foresight sectors. Two processes, namely the co-nomination and direct appointments were followed in order to constitute representative working group members for each of the Foresight sectors. The process used a survey based technique whereby respondents are asked to rate their expertise in a given sector and to nominate other individuals.
In order to establish the factors facing the Science and Technology system in South Africa the scenario building exercise has been undertaken. This process was used to assist the Foresight sectors to better understand the environment in which the sector might be operating on in ten to fifteen years time. Scenarios were developed in February 1998 and these have been finalised.
The four macroscenarios, indicate that South Africa has to develop a strategy that takes into account the challenges of globalisation ('Global Home'), establish mechanisms for dealing with the imbalances of the past ('Frozen Revolution'). The scenarios also highlight the concerns on some aspect of globalisation and the role the developing countries can play in addressing these challenges ('Our Way is The Way'). The opportunities that can be derived by regional integration are demonstrated by the 'Innovation Hub' scenario.
Whilst the Foresight reports are available at DACST, it is worth sharing several broad findings with you. There are several drivers that suggest there is a saturation of the agrarian and industrial economies. The next ten to twenty years will be dominated by huge growths in the information and digital economies. There are signs of the birth of Bio-economy driven by developments in biotechnology and the combination of biotechnology and information technology (Bio-informatics). This economy is expected to impact on a number of sectors such as agriculture, recombinant DNA and genetically Modified Foods), Health (transgenic foods, gene therapy, micro bio-sensors) materials (molecular mapping and atomic architecture) and others. By the year 2010, these developments will be changing the way the human race will do things. The challenge in South Africa is how the country deals with a declining industrial economy(social and economic impacts thereof, how do we prepare our skills base and human resource development for the opportunities presented by the digital and bio-economies.
The results of Foresight will be used to sharpen the choices in allocating funds from the Innovation Fund, to lay the basis if institutional capacity to conduct Foresight, in both the government and private sector, identify priorities for publicly funded research, encourage greater R&D investment in industry, improve the technology awareness and uptake in SMME's and identify skills shortages in Science and Technology (S&T) and action initiatives thereof.
The formal release of the results will take place during March.
2 TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION
The policies set out in the White Paper on Science and Technology saw the promotion of the effective distribution of available knowledge as a critical function of a national system of innovation. A well-functioning process of technology diffusion could boost progress in South Africa through appropriate combinations of domestic and imported technologies, but this in turn will be highly dependent on the ability of South African firms to absorb such technologies.
The South African Government has expressed a strong commitment towards strengthening the capacity and capability of the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) sector to contribute to higher economic growth rates. For small and medium enterprises to become more competitive and to carve out niche areas, access to technology and an innovative mindset are crucial. One of the concerns expressed in the White Paper on Science and Technology was the poor capacity of small, medium and micro enterprises in technology assimilation. Our efforts to promote a culture of research and development through other programmes such as the Innovation Fund will be bolstered if the market has the technically absorptive capacity for application of research results.
2.1 Technology stations programme (TSP)
The department specifically has established a TSP which involves a shared-use co-operative arrangement with technikons in terms of the technikon's facilities and for diffusion of technology through demonstration and other stimulation techniques. For management of the programme, a Technology Advisor works with the technikon on the shared-use aspects for the equipment and arrangements for students to acquire hands-on experience in the selected SMME sector.
The following technikons were selected in SMME sector specific areas:
The Technikon Free State - metalworks/value-adding; Mangosuthu/North West - chemicals; and Technikon Pretoria in electronics.
German experience in technology transfer programmes was drawn on to refine the TSP concept and operational framework. It is anticipated that the German Economic Co-operative Development programme will be making technical assistance available during the life of the pilot TSPs.
2.2 Innovation centre, technology demonstration centre & technology incubator
As part of its wider strategy of technology diffusion DACST has secured support from the European Union (EU) for testing the feasibility, sustainability and replicability of SMME targeted technology transfer models such as Innovation Centres, Technology Demonstration Centres and Incubators.
The Innovation Centre will be established with the focus on optimising and commercialising newly developed technologies.
The Technology Demonstration Centre will be established in a particular manufacturing area. It will accommodate the dual purpose of training students in the practical applications of courses which they are registered for and providing SMMEs with levied access to equipment in cases where they intend moving into new markets and need to do market testing first.
The Technology Incubator will provide a protected environment for an industry-focussed cluster of new technology-based start-up entrepreneurs and enterprises. Tenant enterprises will be nurtured for a definite period by way of easier access to technical assistance and training, support services such as assistance with market development. In addition, communal facilities will mean lower overheads which will improve cash flow in these enterprises.
The target is to establish a Technology Demonstration Centre during 2000, as well as 3 technology incubators and 3 innovation support centres.
3 Contact with SADC
A historic meeting of the Permanent Secretaries/Heads of Science and Technology (S&T) in the SADC region was convened in Pretoria on 20-21 April 1999. Representatives of 9 member States attended the meeting, these being, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland Zambia and Zimbabwe. The HRD Sector Co-ordinating Unit as well as UNESCO were represented. The meeting was organised by the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in South Africa in collaboration with UNESCO.
The overall objective of the meeting was to establish a mechanism for regional co-operation in Science and Technology and also to prepare for the World Conference on Science and Technology which was held in Budapest, Hungary from 26 June to 1 July 1999.
Due cognisance was given to the contents of the Protocol on Education and Training. Article 8 on co-operation in Research and Development served as a point of departure for the meeting.
The meeting identified common problems in SADC which include shortage of human resources in scientific and technical fields, poor institutional capacity for research, lack of resources for undertaking scientific research and other activities and poor co-ordination of research activities.
The meeting also identified priority areas for regional collaboration, including water, energy, HIV/AIDS, food security, drought management, trans-boundary pollution, monitoring movement of skills, development of common regional S&T indicators, HRD in S&T, audit of indigenous knowledge systems, support for S&T entrepreneurship and the use of information technology and communication systems in developing a knowledge industry in the region. Various approaches and mechanisms to promote S&T co-operation in the region, were discussed.
The meeting recommended the creation of a technical sub committee on Science and Technology. It is envisaged that this structure will promote co-ordination of S&T initiatives in the SADC region. The proposal was presented to the SADC HRD Ministers during their meeting held in Swaziland in June 1999. The HRD Ministers deferred the decision to create a sub-committee on science and technology pending the establishment of the technical committee on Higher Education and Training. (according to the Protocol on Education and Training, issues on science and technology fall under Higher Education and Training ).
With a view to taking the process forward, DACST has set aside a sum of R5m which will be used for R&D projects as well as policy studies promoting S&T co-operation in the SADC region. Research proposals have been received and are at present being adjudicated by DACST.
4 Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)
To fully exploit our advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere, the building of a new large telescope was commenced at Sutherland. Owing to substantial developments in the field of astronomy, South Africa's capacity, previously on the forefront, is lagging behind. The Government committed R50 million over 5 years to the establishment of a 10-m class Hobby-Eberly Telescope. A further R50 million will be raised internationally. The facility will be utilised by South Africans and international researchers from the Northern Hemisphere.
The decision to give the go ahead was backed by our signing of the Science and Technology Agreement and Protocol with Poland last year. Poland's contribution to SALT is more than R15 million. We have thus reached the stage where international partners have committed R45 million in cash.
"SALT will enable South Africa to remain internationally competitive in astronomy well into the 21st century. The telescope will be used to study stars and galaxies: from observing some of the most distant galaxies and the early evolution of our Universe, to searching for planets around neighbouring stars. SALT will be the single largest telescope for optical/infrared astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere. Construction is expected to take five years. The telescope itself will be sited at Sutherland in the Northern Cape, the out-station of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The SAAO is a national research facility operated by the National Research Foundation (NRF).
SALT will be based on a similar telescope recently completed in the Northern Hemisphere, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in Texas. The project sends a strong signal to the international community of the importance that South Africa places on fundamental science.
SALT and its associated science education visitor centre will also excite many of the youth in South Africa to become interested in careers in science and technology.
5 Hosting the meeting of the Commonwealth Science Council in the year 2003
It was proposed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban during November 1999 that South Africa should host the next meeting of the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) in the year 2003.
The purpose of the Council is to promote co-operation in the fields of science and technology between member countries in addressing economic, social, cultural and environmental development.
Through regional meetings the CSC is also giving attention to development needs and opportunities in the Southern African region and notable has been achieved.
Given the real progress achieved by the CSC, the leadership role South Africa has taken in the CSC and the unique opportunity it will give South Africa to shape the CSC programme, it is proposed to seek Cabinet approval for South Africa to host the 21st meeting of the CSC and accept it chairpersonship in preparation for the meeting.
Background Prior to the re-admittance of South Africa to the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October 1995, South Africa was invited to attend the Eighteenth Meeting of the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) in June 1995 as an observer. Subsequent to CHOGM in Auckland, New Zealand in October 1995 South Africa became a member of the CSC. At the Nineteenth Meeting of the CSC in Malawi in 1997 South Africa was elected to the Executive Committee of the CSC and has attended the 35th, 36th and 37th Meeting of the Executive Committee.
The CSC has recently been subjected to a comprehensive review, which was completed in December 1998. South Africa was a member of the pan-Commonwealth Steering Group that carried out this review and produced a report.
Since the Nineteenth Meeting of the CSC, South Africa has organised and hosted three Consultation Meetings for CSC members from Southern and East Africa (October 1996, November 1998 and March 1999).
The purpose of the Council is to promote co-operation between member countries of the Commonwealth in increasing the capabilities of individual nations to develop and to use science and technology for their economic, social, cultural and environmental development.
At the Nineteenth Meeting of the CSC held in 1997, it became apparent that it was necessary to review the working relationship between the eleven CSC members in the Southern and East African Region and the Secretariat in London. There was a common concern amongst regional members that the activities planned for the region did not originate from the region but could be interpreted as being imposed by the Secretariat in London. This unfortunate state of affairs occurred because of a lack of input from the region and the regional initiatives were therefore developed outside the region. Having identified the lack of regional input and consultation as the origin of the problem it was decided to hold regular consultative meetings in the region.