SA looks set to move to the next level in the world of science and technology

In 1990, local researchers published 518 (12,8%) papers in association with international collaborators. Last year the number had grown to 3400 (48,3%)! That’s a tribute to the department of science & technology (DST) and its research councils for putting SA firmly on the global stage, according to an article in FM last month.

“It makes sense for SA researchers to work with researchers in other countries around climate adaptation science and climate adaptation technology, for example. Our approach is not to be inward-looking ,” says Dr Thomas Auf der Heyde, DST deputy director-general for the International Co-operation & Resources unit.

This DST programme focussed on science, technology and innovation (STI) has linked up with numerous partners, including the European Union (EU), to leverage off a R6,2bn foreign contribution to the cost of STI co-operation with SA by 2014 to stimulate international technological transfer.

The programme is responsible for planning, promoting and supporting SA’s international science & technology activities within both the bilateral and the multilateral environments. The latter includes partnerships with the likes of the African Union (AU), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) and Unesco, whose main role is that of a clearing house on science and technology knowledge and policy rather than a funder.

“SA is regarded as a serious player, particularly if one takes into account the size of our science system, which is the largest in Africa. It’s small in comparison with all of our Northern partners, including countries such as Switzerland, which is much smaller than SA but has a science system that is bigger than ours. Our system is also small compared with many partners’ in the emerging economies segment,” says Auf der Heyde.

WHEREIN LIES THE VALUE?

There are concrete continent-wide projects in the pipeline due to a research & development (R&D) agreement between the AU and EU commissions. The growing African co-operation has also enabled SA’s National Research Foundation and its African peers to leverage off each other’s expertise.

Countries that SA is in partnership with include Algeria, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia and Uganda. “There’s an agreement between Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya and SA to build a geostationary satellite, specifically for Africa. Our partnership with Algeria is an important part of that project,” he says. SA also co-operates with the North African country on ICT application and in the areas of biotech and nanotechnology.

It's also involved in the African Network for Drug & Diagnostic Innovation, which is funded by the EU. It’s about developing drugs and vaccines for diseases ravaging Africa, such as HIV/Aids, TB and dengue fever. 

This resonates with Science & technology minister Naledi Pandor and DST director-general Dr Phil Mjwara - the latter a believer in the “diffusion” of R&D into real-life solutions for the benefit of society.

The DST’s international programme also supports one of three centres within the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, a 61-member state organisation. The local centre — in Cape Town (the others are in India and Italy) — has a strong focus on African health care and agricultural challenges.

Also, part of the department’s strategy is to support global engagements to leverage research opportunities for the National System of Innovation. These span funding, access to overseas researchers and infrastructure, and access to global knowledge resources such as policy institutions.

“The OECD, for example, is a knowledge brokerage and it presents significant opportunities for policy input to SA,” says Auf der Heyde.

The DST previously invested R17m in EU activities and, in turn, it leveraged off € 25m from Europe for SA research costs. In addition, the total value of the research activities local researchers were part of is more than € 500m (R4bn). “That shows you the value of being internationally embedded,” he says.

The only snag, according to Auf der Heyde, is the inadequacy of funds for international co-operation. He attributes this to two factors. “There are financial constraints in the public system in SA,” he says, illustrating disparities with global partners. “It’s also related to international developments ... one being that SA is moving from being regarded as a developing country to being an emerging economy. As that happens, our access to development finance reduces, while access to strategic partnerships increases. It’s a shift in the nature of relations between us and our international partners in the North."

There is also work in the public-private partnerships space in partnership with SAP. The initiative supports the SAP/Meraka UTD unit, an ICT project that trains local software developers and generates research output in the software engineering environment."