UNESCO SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

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UNESCOSCIENCE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONPOLICY
MEETINGGABORONE, BOTSWANA22-26 SEPTEMBER 2008
SOUTH AFRICAN REPORT
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Presentation structure

• Socio-economic backdrop to policy
• Policy review history (1994 2008)
• Recent OECD review on South Africas National
  System of Innovation
• Review responses

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On the economy

• Took up government in 1994 with deficit
• High levels of poverty and unemployment
• Serious challenges in provision of basic
  services
• Step-change in growth since 2004, about 4.5 on
  average, but consumer and commodity-led
• Longest run of positive economic growth in SAs
  recorded history
• Higher growth potential but energy intensive
• Economic activity fossil-fueled
• Severe shortage of science, engineering and
  technical skills
• Explosive shifts in human settlement patterns
  (growth of urban slums)
• Downturn in global economic outlook, 2008...
• Turbulence in global markets, rising inflation,
  serious concerns over rising food prices

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Science PolicyReview history (1995 2008)
Rm 3137
2007/2008 Follow-up SETI reviews every 4 to 5
years
2007 Ten Year Innovation Plan 2007 OECD SA-NSI
Review
Reviews generate the story-line. The story
presents the case for the budget-line
2004 Ministry for Science Technology
established 2004 Science Vote abolished as
planning budgeting coordination instrument and
new governance model adopted for SETIs
Rm 1630
2002/2003 Follow-up SETI reviews every 4 to 5
years
2002 National RD Strategy
2001 EU SA-NSI Review
1999 Scenarios-focused Research and Technology
Foresight completed, 12 sectors plus 1
cross-cutter (human capital)
1998 Department of Science Technology
established KPIs for SETIs FRD changed to
NRF 1998 Innovation Fund established
Rm 418
1997 Reviews Science, Engineering and
Technology Institutions (SETIs), 12 plus
system-wide synthesis report 1997 Research and
Technology Audit
Rm 276
1996 White Paper adoption of NSI concept

• 1995-1996 Green Paper consultations

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The issues the White Paper addressed as failures

• A fragmented National System of Innovation (NSI)
• An inadequately co-ordinated NSI
• The erosion of innovative capacity
• Poor levels of investment in research and
  development
• An urgent need to redress the imbalances created
  by past policies and actions
• A lack of resources to meet commitments in
  respect of regional development
• A poor competitive position within the global
  environment.

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The new policy directions that were proposed
within the NSI framework included the following

• Creation of clear channels for capacity building,
  science and technology human resource development
  and inequity redress
• Establishment of mechanisms to re-allocate
  government spending according to new priorities
  to promote innovative solutions, particularly
  related to problems of the disadvantaged
• Processes that will challenge government research
  institutions to derive more support from
  competitive sources of funding
• Introduction of processes allowing longer-term
  perspectives in planning and budgeting for RD
  and
• Promotion of institutional changes and new
  management approaches to accommodate the above
  proposed mechanisms and processes.

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1997 SETI Reviews
The White Paper on Science and Technology
mandated an investigation into the structure and
governance of South Africas science and
technology system. During 1997 the Department of
Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST)
therefore initiated and managed a series of
twelve separate evaluations of science,
engineering and technology institutions in order
to establish how these institutions could be
restructured or reconfigured to meet broad
national goals.

• The teams for the twelve institutional reviews
  were drawn up from senior science and technology
  practitioners and managers both locally and
  internationally. The criteria of race and gender
  were also strong determinants in the selection
  process. A number of candidates were from the
  African continent.

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1997 Review findings

• The Review concluded that parts of the system
  were functioning extremely well for example,
  some core competencies of the CSIR, MINTEK, the
  Council for Geoscience (CGS) and the Medical
  Research Council (MRC) were evaluated and
  acclaimed as world-class.
• In most of the other institutions the basic
  technical expertise was seen to be of a high
  standard. However, there were deficiencies of
  varying degrees of severity in respect of
  strategic vision, research management and
  equitable human resource development.
• HSRC to re-orientate to public purpose RD agenda
  and CSIR to chart a way back to science as
  opposed to consulting contract focus.
• From a structural perspective significant
  recommendations were made regarding the Atomic
  Energy Corporation (AEC)-separate public interest
  from commercial operations, the South African
  Weather Bureau (agentise SAWB) and the Africa
  Institute of South Africa.

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1998 Scorecard approach introduced for Science
Council KPIs

• Financial Investment perspective
• Stakeholder/Customer perspective
• Organizational perspective
• Innovation and learning perspective
• Human Resource Development perspective

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KPIs Financial Investment Perspective

• Targeting and managing research investment
• ROI on intangible property/savings to state
  society
• Market/user relationship
• Competitiveness (first, second or last port of
  call)
• Management of operating costs, technology,
  capital assets)

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KPIs Stakeholder/customer perspective

• Support of NSI goals
• National development imperatives
• Ensuring access to knowledge infrastructure
• Technology diffusion/dissemination of information
  research results
• Supporting quality policy decision-making
• Promoting networks linkages

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KPIs Organizational perspective

• Close to operational best practice
• Quality of science technology base
• Quality of science technology services/products
• Relevance of research portfolio
• Profile i.r.o. partnerships/joint
  ventures/co-operation agreements
• Corporate culture

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KPIs Innovation learning perspective

• Contribution to national knowledge stock
• Development of human resources in science
  technology (knowledge capital)
• Integration with knowledge based economy
• Nature and extent of Foresight capacity for
  engagement in new core technology areas
• Nature and degree of commitment to promoting
  public understanding of science and technology

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KPIs HRD Transformation

• Training and development
• Employment equity
• Remuneration equity
• Democratization

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Wealth Creation
Twin objectives
Quality of life
Business performance
Technical progress (Improvement and Innovation)

• SET Human Capital

Imported know-how
Current RD Capacity
Future RD capacity
2002 Indicators based National RD Strategy
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Indicators
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OECD SA-NSI ReviewThe Process

• Project co-ordination NACI and OECD Secretariat
• Negotiated and finalised TOR
• DST developed the SA Background Report
• The South African National System of Innovation
  Structure, Policies and Performance

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OECD SA-NSI Review Process cont

• Using the report as a tool for the national
  strategic conversation
• Programme included players in all the major
  stakeholder groups of the STI sector
• Culmination in a briefing session with Minister
  Mangena and the DST Executive

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2007 OECD Review Key Findings

• Human Capital for SET is sub-optimal.
• A long term planning Framework is needed.
• The governance framework needs more vertical and
  horizontal integration.
• There is an innovation chasm with an insufficient
  number of research products directly influencing
  the real economy.
• Science, Technology and Innovation for the 2nd
  economy should be more pronounced and visible.

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OECD Review Responses

• The development of the 10 Year Innovation Plan
• Human Capital Strategy for Science, Engineering
  and Technology
• Inter-departmental Knowledge-Economy Forum
  established
• Structured bilaterals with sector departments
• Active engagement within government cluster
  system
• Governance problem persists may lead to
  proposal to revisit sector-focused governance
  model
• Proposed establishment of the Technology
  Innovation Agency
• Considering innovative 2nd Economy STI
  interventions.

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10-year innovation plan

• South Africa adopted a Ten-Year Innovation Plan
  (2008-2018) in July 2007
• Major emphasis is the commitment to national
  action for transitioning to a knowledge-based
  economy through-
• Human capital development (HCD)
• Knowledge generation and exploitation (RD)
• Knowledge infrastructure development
• Addressing the innovation chasm between
  research results and societal benefits

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Technology dependency or knowledge economy?
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New Kid on the blockTechnology Innovation Agency
(TIA)

• Technology commercialisation capacity science,
  engineering, technology, IP, industry analysis,
  market analysis, investment analysis
• Enhanced funding capacity seed/grant funds,
  loans/equity, venture funds
• Technology nursery advisory services,
  incubation, SME support
• Leading and resourcing Centres of Competence

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Its time to be ambitious
5 GRAND CHALLENGES
Become a Key player in knowledge base on Global
Change science and planning
Farmer to Pharma establish an integrated local
value-chain
Innovation towards a knowledge economy
Become a serious participant in global Space
industry
Technologies for an Energy-secure Future
Human and Social Dynamics empowering society in
a complex world
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The number of researchers the key enabler

• The number of qualified researchers will not be
  achieved without outside intervention
• A clear career path from BSc to researcher level
  has to be established,
• The Masters and PhD intern programmes have to
  become significant parts of government funded
  research with graduation targets being
  significant part of the monitoring.
• The production line of researchers will have to
  be continually watched for bottlenecks, including
  hindrances and bottlenecks going in and out of
  the systems
• Any one bottleneck, such as math matriculants,
  science and engineering graduates, research
  projects and mentoring expertise will potentially
  derail the human capital development programme.

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The current pipeline is woefully inadequate
Strategic Destination
Required National and SET target pipeline
(2025) X 10 increase
SET Ph.Ds Produced 50 Total Ph.D Production!
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STRATEGIC POSITIONING
IN WHICH LEAGUE DO WE WANT TO PLAY?
South Africa In 2026 A 5 x increase from
current situation
South Africa In 2026 A 10 x increase from
current situation
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Available instruments for implementing the HCD
Strategy

• South African Research Chairs Initiative
  (SARChi)
• Centres of Excellence
• Centres of Competence
• National Facilities
• Science Councils
• International postings.

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• Thank You