M Mangena: Cocktail Function of Bio2Biz South Africa 2006
Conference

27 September 2006

Members of academia,
Business leaders,
Students and fellow citizens,
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen:

This landmark event is aimed at showcasing some of South Africa's
developments within this new economy sector of biotechnology. Durban, the
beautiful city, which is host to this conference also houses one of the
Biotechnology Innovation Centres, LIFElab.

This event overlaps with another event of great magnitude, the International
Science Innovation and Technology (INSITE) 2006 Exhibition which is ending
today in Sandton. It hosted some of the world's recent technological and
engineering advances and a rather special set of exhibits to show young people
and the public how attractive science and engineering can be as a career. A
programme of meetings and side events ranging from astronomy to zoology also
took place.

The National Biotechnology Strategy which highlights the importance of
biotechnology in promoting socio-economic development and building social value
for all our citizens was approved in 2001. Five years on we are beginning to
reap the fruits of that decision as will be displayed through a series of
presentations, discussions and exhibitions in the next three days.

Over the past three years more than R450 million was invested through the
Biotechnology Innovation Centres (BRICs), the National Bio-informatics Network
and the Public Understanding of Biotechnology (PUB) programme. We plan to
continue this investment in order to grow the industry as biotechnology has
been identified as one of the instruments having a potential to improve the
economic well-being of our people through the development of new methods of
treating diseases, job creation and business expansion.

At the current pace our projections and expectations are that by the year
2014, we would have created close to 40 start-up biotech companies, delivering
more than 60 new biotech products and services through the BRICs. I invite you
to make use of the next three days to examine some of the strides made by the
sector.

My Department has already signed a number of mutually beneficial
collaborative partnerships and agreements with other countries with regard to
the development of biotechnology. Of particular interest at this moment, is the
India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) trilateral agreement in which we aim to tackle
issues such as bio-safety and regulatory issues, bio-informatics, biodiversity,
tuberculosis (TB), HIV and AIDS. As a fruit of this agreement one of our
biotechnology instruments Plant-Bio, hosted a very successful IBSA workshop on
bio-safety and regulatory issues attended by delegates from the respective
countries.

This workshop looked at possible ways of harmonising processes and
activities of bio-safety and regulations among the three countries. This
workshop was fully supported by a number of key players within the South
African bio-safety field.

The commitment of my Department to bio-safety issues is an indication that
we are not only concerned about the development of biotechnology but are also
proactively looking and responding to its potential impact on the lives of our
people, animals, plants and the environment. The recent publication of two
documents, "Ethical Guidelines for Biotechnology Research in SA" and "Legal
Guidelines for Biotechnology Research in SA", serves as testimony to our
commitment to the responsible development of biotechnology.

One of our successful international collaborations involves the signing of a
memorandum of agreement between a South African consortium and the RIKEN
Institute in Japan to utilise their high-tech cyclotron to create genetic
diversity in African food security crops such as pearl millet, sorghum and
maize. Plant-Bio has played a key role in developing this collaboration.

Through such international collaborations we aim to create opportunities for
our scientists, students and entrepreneurs that will expose them to
international good practice in biotechnology developments.

Recently South Africa successfully hosted the Microbicides 2006 Conference,
which drew the attention and attendance of over 1 000 delegates from all over
the world. This approach to addressing HIV infection and other sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) has provided researchers with new possibilities and
approaches of dealing with sexual health issues. LIFElab is already investing
in a clinical trial of a potential microbicide gel for the prevention of HIV
infection. This is an indication that although our biotechnology is still in
its infancy, we are tapping into modern technologies in tandem with the rest of
the world.

We are hoping that South Africa will soon be confirmed as the host of the
third component of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB). The support that this bid process received from the
various sectors of our society is an indication of the correct approach that
government has taken in developing and growing the biotechnology sector.
Success in this bid will lead to accelerated strides in new biotechnology
outcomes throughout the country and the region. If successful the third
component of the ICGEB will be hosted at the Institute of Infectious Diseases
and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town. Within this institute,
the Cape Biotech Trust has already invested more than R40 million in
establishing a number of technology platforms to enable this accelerated pace
of biotech growth. These platforms include the centre for proteomics and
genomic research and Kapa Biosystems for protein engineering.

These platforms have been carefully identified as needed technologies
towards the development of a sustainable Cape Biotechnology Cluster. These
initiatives will provide networking and useful funding opportunities for our
scientists and start-up biotech companies in the country. I urge scientists at
our academic institutions to start utilising these national facilities. They
are available not only to the institutions that host them but also to every
member of the research community in the country.

Through the technology platforms approach we aim to focus on the commercial
end of biotechnology and to grow the necessary human capital required to
sustain biotechnology. Through this approach we intend to be at the cutting
edge with regards to technology developments and to provide an enabling
environment for researchers and entrepreneurs.

Through technology platforms and research chairs in biotechnology, we are
also addressing some of the challenges identified by the Joint Initiative for
Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) programme. We want to ensure that our
biotechnology programme develops and where necessary, acquires the new skills
needed to sustain biotechnology.

Over the next four years a total of 10 new technology platforms will be
established within South Africa. Three years ago the National Bio-informatics
Network (NBN) was established. This network has invested R50 million at a
number of universities in the country to establish the field of
bio-informatics. The success of this technology platform has been phenomenal.
Today we have managed to train over 100 bio-informaticists and established
bio-informatics nodes at universities. New high tech facilities and high
performance computing capacity provide a wealth of information on scientific
advances. An indication of this success is that at the recent Intelligent
Systems for Molecular Biology Conference held in Brazil last month, there were
20 presentations from South Africa's NBN node as compared to only three posters
at the same conference in 2001.

Over the next three days I call upon all of you to pay special attention to
these developments within our biotechnology instruments. We urge our
international guests to become ambassadors of South Africa's biotech industry
as a new opportunity for foreign investments, collaborations and research
opportunities.

As you engage in these deliberations, do not forget to explore the beauty of
the country and the city in which you are hosted. A few meters away from here
lies the calmest shores of the Indian Ocean. Not far from here are the
legendary ragged valleys of a thousand hills. These features are unique on
their own. You may not have the chance to see them but make a note of their
presence.

Also within the city of Durban, is a rich tapestry of many cultures of
people that span from the east of Asia to the west of the America. As you step
out into this haven you will be greeted by the warmth of a diverse and yet
harmonised people. Stop. Smile. When necessary take a rickshaw to the nearest
spot and wave. The weather allows for all of these activities.

Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you all to celebrate these achievements as
you engage in the proceedings of the conference while you enjoy the beauty of
this beautiful city of Durban.

To the conference organisers, I congratulate you all in managing to gather
all these minds to our shores. Make use of this opportunity to create a network
of future biotechnologists and ambassadors of South African biotechnology.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
27 September 2006
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za/)