Speech by Naledi Pandor MP, Minister of Science and Technology, at the launch of the partnership between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Cisco Systems (Cisco), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Council for Scientific and Indus
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Vice-Chancellor: Prof Derrick Swartz
Executive Director of Meraka Institute: Ms Hina Patel
Cisco, Executive Vice-President of Operations, Processes and Systems: Randy Pond
SKA South Africa, Executive Director: Dr Bernie Fanaroff
NMMU Centre for Broadband Communication, Prof Tim Gibbon
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Andrew Leitch
It gives me great pleasure to launch the partnership between the DST, Cisco, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), the CSIR and SKA on broadband communication research and development. The partnership establishes the Centre for Broadband Communication, hosted by the NMMU and jointly funded by the DST (through CSIR's Meraka Institute) and Cisco. The Centre will play a critical role in undertaking research into broadband technology. The NMMU has over 10 years of experience as one of the leading universities in South Africa conducting research and development in optical-fibre telecommunication. Cisco is a world leader in the development of telecommunications technologies and is already involved in pioneering research on next generation optical-transport systems with applications to the MeerKAT and the SKA.
Access to the Internet, as we are now beginning to understand, is as important to economic development as access to electricity. In some countries (Estonia) Internet access is regarded as a fundamental right. Yet a number of challenges continue to hamper Internet access in South Africa- high broadband costs, limited research and development capacity, and a lack of innovative economic models for providing connectivity to rural communities.
Broadband research falls under the rubric of information technology, which was one of a set of four new technology platforms in the DST’s 2002 National R&D Strategy, our founding policy. To give effect to the platform the DST adopted an ICT Research and Development and Innovation Strategy. In 2013 the strategy was strengthened by the adoption of a10 year ICT Research, Development and Implementation Roadmap. The Strategy has contributed to advancing human capital development, ICT for Earth observation, human language technology, video coding and information security. A total of 216 undergraduate and postgraduate students were supported by the strategy's human capital development programme between 2006 and 2013.
The strategy and roadmap are implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Meraka Institute, which undertakes focused research, development and innovation in IT, as well as human capital development.
The Meraka Institute has seen some of its R&D programmes graduating into large-scale technology demonstrators. For example, the wireless mesh network project is an alternative model for the deployment of broadband infrastructure and the provision of electronic services in rural areas. This is being piloted in three provinces.
In the implementation of the ICT R&D and innovation strategy, collaboration with the IT industry and academia is of profound importance.
The DST is engaging with industry and academia under its ICT strategy, its grand challenges, and its Technology Innovation Agency.
First, the DST engages with the IT industry under the ICT research strategy, which aims to build world-class IT research capacity in South Africa. This specifically entails short-study attachments for masters and PhD students in private-sector research facilities.
Second, the DST's grand challenges - global change, energy security, space science, bioeconomy, and human and social dynamics - require strategic IT projects. These strategic areas are good platforms for various applications in climate change modelling and forecasting, environmental monitoring, and other natural science areas that employ the power of high performance computing, mathematics, computational science and software development.
Third, the DST’s Technology Innovation Agency provides a good opportunity for industry to develop niche ICT capabilities that could lead to the creation of new high-tech ICT enterprises.
All of these are critical areas of research for the realisation of our national goals, but they also provide industry with a number of opportunities to enhance the contribution they are making to our country.
Our aim is to catalyse the development of an innovative, sustainable and indigenous IT industry that addresses a significant portion of South Africa’s IT needs, as well as attracting investments from global IT corporations in R&D and manufacturing facilities in South Africa.
The ICT Roadmap is aimed at increasing public and private investment in ICT research, development and innovation.
In this regard, the DST recently developed a framework to guide its engagements with global IT companies such as Cisco. The framework provides an overarching strategic platform to harness the potential benefits that can accrue from partnering with the private sector. The benefits are expected to be in line with the broader government socio-economic development priorities such as job creation, skills development, poverty reduction and improving the quality of life. In the main, we expect the framework to stimulate public-private partnerships in IT research and development and innovation.
The centre will host programmes on Cisco Next Generation Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) Systems Research; signal synchronisation and timing tones over optical fibre for the MeerKAT and SKA projects; novel FTTH and broadband solutions like the Broadband and Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) for South Africa project; and human capital development.
With the increased investment in R&D by both private and public sectors, opportunities exists for bold interventions that will enable South Africa to secure a greater share of global markets in both R&D and manufacturing.
A few basic support elements are essential. We need human capital development, world-class research infrastructure, and continuous collaboration between academia, government and industry.
Cisco has shown us the way forward. Thank you for working with the DST.
Thank you.
