National ICT Strategy

To fully understand the ICT R&D environment in South Africa, it is necessary to provide a brief perspective on the National System of Innovation and how ICT R&D fits within this framework.

The National System of Innovation (NSI)

A National System of Innovation (NSI) is generically defined as a cluster or network of interacting public and private organisations within a specific country focused on the nurturing and the development of the science and technology space within the borders of that particular country. The 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology (S&T) introduced the South African NSI as the basis of the S&T interventions in the economy. The NSI is an enabling framework for science and technology, and is central to South Africa's prospects for continued economic growth and socioeconomic development.

Key elements to the South African NSI [Note: EU-Africa Cooperation on ICT Under FP7: Status of ICT Research and Development in South Africa. May 2007. Prepared in the framework of the START project by the Meraka Institute, CSIR, South Africa] include:

- A separate Department of Science and Technology (DST) was created in 2004. The recognition of the importance of S&T through the creation of a separate department has led to significant developments in the promotion and support of S&T activities at the national level, but also increasingly in terms of international agreements and levels R&D international collaboration.

- The DST's reporting lines were moved from the Social to the Economics and Investment cluster within Government - this restructuring can be seen as evidence of the need to address technology transfer from higher educational institutions (HEIs) and public research institutions (PRIs) to the private sector and the emphasis on S&T to stimulate economic growth.

- A National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) was created to advise government on policy issues. Within NACI a specific group was created to address the low levels of participation of women in S&T - the South African Reference Group on Women for Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). A recently drafted gender and race equity policy for SET was presented in 2006 to the Minister of Science and Technology. This is part of the national focus to develop human resources.

- Restructuring of HEIs has taken place which has resulted in the merging of some institutions and the creation of Centres of Excellence (CoE).

- Twelve PRIs have been created to carry out R&D, of which the CSIR, established in 1945, is the largest. The Meraka Institute at the CSIR was specifically established in 2005 to address the need for high-level research in ICTs. The Meraka Institute has as mandate the development of human capital in ICT.

- A National Research Foundation (NRF), responsible for the funding of social and natural science research in South Africa, was created. A specific priority area has been included for the Information Society, through which ICT research is funded. Specific funding instruments have provided opportunity for collaborative R&D funding between PRIs, HEIs and the private sector.

- The South African Agency for S&T Advancement was created to promote wider public understanding of S&T. This includes extensive outreach activities such as exhibitions and activities focussed on schoolchildren.

- The establishment of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), a new public entity aimed at stimulating and intensifying innovation and inventions in order to improve economic growth, and enhance quality of life of all South Africans, by developing and exploiting technological innovations and interventions, and creating an enabling environment wherein these could be commercialised. The TIA will seek to address the main barrier to commercialisation of technological innovations by consolidating the fragmented funding instruments that currently exist in South Africa. The TIA will be managed and controlled based on the provisions of the TIA Act, which was signed into law in December 2008. The DST has since established a Project Management Office in preparation for migration of the various entities to TIA. The existing entities which will be incorporated into TIA are the: Biotechnology Regional Innovation Centres (BRICs), the Innovation Fund, AMTS, and the Tshumisano Trust. Once it is established, the TIA will be expected to stimulate the development of technology based products and services, by the public and private sector technology based enterprises, thereby developing a significant technology base for the country's economy.

Notwithstanding significant changes in South Africa and in the rest of the world, the framework of a NSI remains compelling. Economic growth depends on effective sectoral and cluster strategies (in agriculture, manufacturing, telecommunications, etc.), on infrastructure (electricity, transport) and on key enablers (human resources, research and development).

Enabling legislation and policies

Government plays a formative role in research and innovation by developing and approving policy, legislation and regulatory frameworks; setting the overall national agenda; and creating an enabling environment for research and innovation to thrive.

Since South Africa's democratisation in 1994, the country has engaged in numerous initiatives to promote S&T and encourage innovation, in the private sector, government research institutes and the HE sector, as fundamental to impacting on growth and development in a sustainable manner in areas of relevance to all South Africans. This acknowledgement of the important role that S&T has to play in the future of the nation culminated in the release of South Africa's National R&D Strategy in 2002. The contribution of S&T as a key enabler of economic growth was further emphasised when the target was established of increasing R&D expenditure to 1% of GDP by 2008 (from a 2001/2002 baseline of 0.76% of GDP).

Subsequently, South Africa has released several complementary S&T "thematic" strategies aimed at supporting long-term research; the development of required resources, both human and supporting infrastructure; stimulating new technological developments; and ultimately increasing South African competitiveness. Several other R&D strategies are under development in priority areas such as Energy; Biofuels; African Origins; Climate Change; Youth into Science and Human Capital Development. A number of policies have also been instated, e.g. the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy, the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) from Publicly Financed Research Framework, and the National Space Policy Framework, with the Health Innovation Framework in advanced stage of development. International science and technology collaboration are seen as imperative to the success of these initiatives.

The important role of S&T in economic development and social upliftment will be further entrenched as DST develops the South African ten year plan "Innovation towards a knowledge based economy". This plan aims to address current gaps and challenges and to remove impediments to innovation. This bold innovation strategy will require policy leadership from the DST and other government departments, and strengthened cooperation in all matters of science and technology.

ICT Research and Development and Innovation Strategy (ICT R&D&I)

The purpose of the South African ICT R&D&I strategy is to create an enabling system for the advancement of ICT R&D and innovation, within the context of the broader national strategy. It aims to improve economic competitiveness and the quality of life for South Africans. The 2015 ICT vision is as follows:

"South Africa is an inclusive information society where ICT-based innovation flourishes. Entrepreneurs from historically disadvantaged population groups, rural communities and the knowledge-intensive industry benefit and contribute to the well-being and quality of life of our citizens. South Africa has a strong national ICT brand that captures the vibrancy of an industry and research community striving for excellence, characterised by innovative approaches to local and global challenges, and recognised for its contribution to the economic growth and well-being of our people and region."

In line with this vision the key ICT R&D&I strategic objectives are:

- To develop focused and strengthened ICT research activities to achieve world-class research competencies in identified key S&T areas;

- To build a strong and robust ICT innovation environment, with an indigenous ICT sector that is competitive and growing; and

- To build advanced human capital (ICT skills base) for research and industry, as well as the proliferation of ICT in other sectors of the economy.

The following supporting objectives underpin the ICT R&D&I strategy:

- The creation of an enabling environment, through effective policy, strategy and support structures, which will lead to effective implementation

- The development of strong R&D cooperation with countries who are key players in ICT R&D.

- The provision of resources for the ICT R&D and Innovation System, which will result in ICT GERD funding at OECD levels by 2015.

- The development of an effective research infrastructure with local and international collaboration.

Proposed strategic interventions for implementation of the ICT R&D&I strategy include:

- The Advanced Human Capital Development Programme which aims to dramatically improve post-graduate enrolment and completion rate in ICT by supporting young researchers as students in employment.

- The Critical Mass Research Programme will support focus and critical mass R&D in identified technology and application domains through an array of instruments that link established researchers and draw in new researchers including post-doctoral researchers and international experts available in the NSI system. These include core grant proposal funding, research chairs, networks and centres of excellence, institutes etc.

- The International ICT R&D Collaboration Programme supports the objectives of the Strategy through collaboration via collaborative R&D projects, researcher mobility and science and technology networking.

- The Large Innovation Initiatives and Grand Challenges addresses the innovation chasm by stimulating broad collaboration across disciplines and amongst players in various stages of the innovation pipeline by leveraging the Innovation Fund and other instruments.

- The ICT R&D in Industry Programme addresses current low levels of investment in ICT R&D and low uptake by industry and other sectors of society of research results from academic and other research institutions. This will be done through awareness and advocacy, incentives, industry research collaboration support e.g. as in THRIP, and people mobility by building on the ICT R&D Roadmap programme and stimulating intergovernmental and parastatal collaboration.

- The ICT R&D and Society Programme contributes to the realisation of the benefits of ICT R&D for improved quality of life and in support of an inclusive information society through a multidisciplinary information society research programme, market neglect innovation and a Young Scientist & Engineer programme.

- The R&D Infrastructure Programme enables simulation, experimentation, collaboration and other research processes, implemented through a number of specific infrastructures, by supporting research groups through equipment grants as required.

- Futures Research, Future Technologies and Strategy Implementation and Renewal Support encourages renewal of ICT R&D and enables effective planning of ICT aspects of the NSI through ICT Futures Research and Research in Future and Emerging Technologies and by providing effective support for implementation of the strategy.

- Funding the ICT R&D Strategy supports implementation of the ICT R&D&I strategy through increased funding levels to facilitate investment levels in line with national R&D&I strategy goals (R&D of 1% of GDP by 2008 and 1.5% by 2012).

The strategy will be implemented by universities, science councils, business incubators, science/technology parks, industry and government. The DST is responsible for the oversight and co-ordination of the strategy, which runs from 2007 - 2016 across a number of stages.

Key performance indicators for measuring effective implementation include:

- Human resource development indicators - will ultimately be measured through PhD graduation rate and ICT Full-Time Equivalent researchers with PhDs. Due to the lag that can be expected in these indicators, these measures will be supplemented by the short-term indicators such as the enrolment of Bachelors, Honours, Masters and PhD levels as early indications of the effects of the ICT R&D and Innovation Strategy.

- Research performance indicators - will be measured by the country's share in global ICT publications and the Relative Citation Index for ICT publications attributable to South Africa.

- Innovation performance - will be measured through US/EU/South African ICT patent share and business expenditure on ICT R&D and Innovation.