The TenYear Innovation Plan for South Africa: Opportunities for International Partnerships

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The Ten-Year Innovation Plan for South Africa
Opportunities for International Partnerships
International Conference on Scientific and
Technological Innovation National Experience and
International Cooperation Novotneho Lavka, 5,
Prague, Czech Republic, 21 May 2009
Vuyani Lingela, General Manager, International
Cooperation and Research

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Contents

• Innovation Policy Landscape
• Economic Transformation towards a
  knowledge-based economy
• SAs Grand Challenges
• Innovation as a National Imperative
• Innovation Instruments
• Human Capital Development
• ST Across Government
• Conclusion

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Policy landscape
OECD Review of SA NSI
NSI SWOT Benchmarked

• New public ST missions
• Biotechnology
• ICT
• Advanced manufacturing
• Astronomy

10Yr Innovation Plan
Creation of DST
RD Strategy ST missions
Developing the NSI

• Knowledge-based economy
• Grand challenges
• Human capital development

ST White Paper
1996
2002
2004
2007
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Towards a Knowledge Economy
KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY
RESOURCE-BASED ECONOMY
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The Knowledge Economy
The Four Pillars of the Knowledge Economy
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Towards a Knowledge Economy

• Knowledge is the basic form of capital for
  Innovation
• Knowledge generation, accumulation and
  exploitation
• Economic growth is driven by Innovation
• Key driver for Innovation is high-end human
  capital PhD
• PhD as the key foundation for achieving the
  objectives of the National System of Innovation
  (NSI)

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Economic Scientific Wealth
Source DA King, Nature 430 (2004) 311 (15 July
2004)
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The Ten-Year Innovation Plan
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Farmer to Pharmaceutical

• For South Africas biotechnology industry to
  grow, a number of critical factors need to be
  satisfied, including
• Greater networking and collaboration (domestic
  and international) across all sectors (academia,
  science councils, industry and government)
• The development of business skills to help
  identify viable projects
• A clearer strategic focus on selected platforms
  and markets
• Improved funding mechanisms to close the gap
  between basic research and commercialisation and
  shorter turnaround times between application and
  receipt of funding
• Investment in platforms (including
  infrastructure) to bridge the gap between
  research and commercial
• Implementation South Africa has a range of natural

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Societal benefits of space science

• Disasters - Reducing loss of life and property
  from natural and human-induced disasters
• Health - Understanding environmental factors
  affecting human health
• Energy - Managing energy resources
• Climate variability and change - Adapting to
  climate variability and change
• Water - Improving resource management
• Weather - Improving forecasting and warning
• Protection of ecosystems - Improved management of
  terrestrial, coastal, and marine resources
• Agriculture - Supporting sustainable agriculture
  and combating desertification
• Conserving biodiversity - Understanding,
  monitoring, and conserving biodiversity

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Space industry
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Energy

• Major RD Thrusts
• Clean coal
• Nuclear technologies in support Eskom Build
  Programme
• Renewables (Special focus on Solar technologies)
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies

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Societal benefits of earth observation
SAEOSS
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Human and social science

• In todays world, behaviour, science and
  technology are deeply intertwined,
• The socioeconomic problems that we face require
  focused work by teams of cross-disciplinary
  experts
• Technologies cannot be developed without giving
  thought to how they will affect and be received
  by human beings.
• to increase our ability to anticipate the complex
  consequences of change
• to better understand the dynamics of human and
  social behaviour at all levels
• to better understand the cognitive and social
  structures that create and define change and
• to help people and organisations better manage
  profound or rapid change.

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Innovation Instruments
Bridging the Innovation Chasm
TIA
Production Commercialisation
Knowledge Production
Development
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Basic
Applied
Tech Develop
Transfer Proliferation
NRF
IDC
TIA
Specialist Research Funds
Venture Capital
International Research Funds
SEDA
PBF
Publications/new knowledge
Patents/new knowledge products
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IP Support
TI Fund
Venture Capital Access
Enterprise Development
Competency Centres
Hydrogen Economy
BRICS
AMI
AMTS
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Human Capital Development

• Increase the number of knowledge workers
  Researchers
• Increase the productivity of researchers
• Address inequalities Race, gender, regional
  institutional distribution
• Introducing appropriate Innovation Instruments in
  the National System of Innovation

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Knowledge-based Economies
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Strategic Positioning
South Africa In 2026 (20 yrs) A 5 x increase to
present situation
IN WHICH LEAGUE DO WE WANT TO PLAY?
South Africa In 2026 (20yrs) A 10 x increase to
future situation
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Points of leverage from current situation

• lt 10 proceed from a basic degree to pursue
  honours
• 2. Only 19 proceed from Masters to Doctoral
  studies

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Research Outputs(International Comparison)
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Research Outputs(Patents)
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Conclusions
ICSTI Member Sates
Innovation Actors
Higher Education
Research Institutions
Industry
Government/Public Institutions
Grand Challenges
Farmer to pharmer
Sapce science
Energy
Global change
Human and Social science
Higher Education
Research Institutions
Industry
Government/Public Institutions
Innovation Actors
South African National Resources
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THANK YOUVuyani Lingela, General Manager
International Cooperation and Research,Department
of Science and TechnologyEmail
Vuyani.Lingela_at_dst.gov.zaTel 27 12 843 6517,
Cell 27 82 600 4722, Fax [phone]
0051Postal Address Private Bag X 894, Pretoria
0001, South AfricaPhysical Address Building 53,
Meiring Naude Road, CSIR Campus, Pretoria 0184,
South Africa