The budget
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) receives a total of R4.96 billion for the 2012/13 financial year, of which 53 percent (R2.6 billion) is allocated to the seven public entities reporting to the Department.
These are:
- Technology Innovation Agency (R455 million)
- the National Research Foundation (R1,070 billion)
- the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (R 737 million)
- the Human Sciences Research Council (R214 million)
- the South African National Space Agency (R95 million)
- the Africa Institute of South Africa (R33 million)
- and the Academy of Science of South Africa (R13 million).
Of the remainder R1.94 billion is allocated to research and development projects implemented by the various institutions on behalf of the Department and R397 million is set aside for the running cost of the Department.
It is also important to note that in this financial year, the treasury introduced a new science and technology spending category, which adds together the DST’s budget and the budgets of all government research councils, and amounts to R34.2 billion over the MTEF, of which R10,7 billion is allocated in 2012.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Radio Telescope
Winning the bid to host this mega scientific project remains an important focus of my Department. We are still waiting for the announcement on the selected site.
As you might be aware, the SKA board meeting in April agreed to establish a scientific working group to assess how to derive value from the investments made by the two SKA bids.
The SKA board is meeting next week to consider the report of the scientific working group. I must emphasis though that, as we have done many times before, we would want a decision no later than June this year.
Titanium industry development programme
My Department will be investing about R100 million in the titanium initiative over the next 3 years. A proposal on the use of the R50 million competitiveness funding for the primary titanium industry development programme has been developed in close cooperation with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Council (CSIR).
A core focus of the titanium industry development programme is the commercialisation of a novel process for the low-cost production of titanium powder. Through funding support from my department, researchers are now producing kilogram quantities of titanium powder.
The next step is the production of titanium powder at a rate of 2kg/hour which will be achieved by the establishment of a titanium powder pilot plant at the CSIR campus in Pretoria.
Palaeosciences Strategy
The strategy was approved by Cabinet in February 2012. It centres on the need to build human capital, provide resource support and an enabling legislative environment, to collect, curate and research our invaluable paleaosciences treasures, and to engage the public on all aspects of this exciting field of scientific endeavour.
To date, two new research chairs in the palaeosciences have been awarded.
Six new centres of excellence
Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are physical or virtual centres of research which concentrate existing capacity and resources to enable researchers to collaborate across disciplines on long-term projects that are locally relevant and internationally competitive in order to enhance the pursuit of research excellence and capacity development.
CoEs have become a common research funding instrument in several countries e.g. Australia, Canada, and the United States. In 2004 following consultations with various countries and experts, the the National Research Foundation (NRF) launched the centres of excellence programme.
The initiative was to focus primarily on South Africa. At the same time, the NRF anticipated pursuing collaboration with bi-lateral and multi-lateral initiatives aimed at developing and linking into similar centres across the African continent as well as with similar initiatives linked to capacity building through north-south collaborative ventures. Other government departments and business organisations have expressed interest in establishing and funding centres of excellence within the same model and to be managed by the NRF.
Since 2004, eight centres of excellence have been established and this year six new ones will be established. The total budget for the centres has risen from a modest R21.7 million in 2004/05 to R69.5 million in the 2012/13 financial year.
It is anticipated that with new centres, this figure will rise to R131 million in 2013/14.
The following CoEs have been established since 2004:
- DST/NRF CoE for Biomedical TB Research (CBTBR) to research new tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (Established in June 2004) http://www.tuberculosis.org.za
- DST/NRF CoE in Birds as Keys to Biodiversity Conservation (Fitzpatrick Institute) to focus on understanding and maintaining biodiversity using birds as indicators (Reconstituted in September 2004) http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
- DST/NRF CoE for Invasion Biology (CIB) to address the biodiversity consequences of biological invasions (Established in June 2004) http://www.academic.sun.ac.za/cib/
- DST/NRF CoE in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTBH) to concentrate on understanding and combating diseases affecting South Africa’s indigenous trees (Reconstituted June 2004) http://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/cthb
- DST/NRF CoE in Catalysis (C*Change) to drive innovation in catalysis, a key process in the chemical and manufacturing sector (Established in June 2004) http://www.cchange.ac.za/
- DST/NRF CoE in Strong Materials to seek to understand and improve the properties of advanced strong materials to increase their efficiency and reduce their cost (Established in June2004) http://web.wits.ac.za/Academic/Centres/strongmaterials
- DST/NRF CoE in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) to use mathematics to understand predict and ultimately combat diseases (Established in May 2006). http://www.sun.ac.za/sacema
Aqua farming
The department continues to support projects demonstrating the application of technology in marine equaculture, with a specific focus on empowering the economically marginalised communities to establish viable commercial aqua-farming initiatives.
Rural development
As rural development is one of the five priority areas of Government, we support a set of demonstration projects where technology-based opportunities are used as a basis to support the creation, maintenance or improvement of sustainable livelihoods.
We introduced a pilot project to provide clean drinking water in six remote rural villages of Amathole and O R Tambo district municipalities, where people are still collecting water from polluted rivers and streams.
1 775 households in these villages now have access to safe drinking water.
On the education front, we are working closely with the Department of Basic Education and the Eastern Cape Department of Education on a project involving the introduction, demonstration and testing of a range of technologies and innovative approaches to assist in addressing some of our education related challenges in the rural context.
The chosen site for this project is the Cofimvaba School District in the Eastern Cape. A team from the CSIR has already conducted a comprehensive scoping exercise in the area, and the HSRC has been contracted to do the important monitoring and evaluation work, and to ensure that the policy lessons from this pilot are properly captured.
The theme and highlights of budget day
An exhibition showcasing some of the South Africa’s best innovations, under the theme “Innovation for development and socio-economic change”, which is also the theme for our budget vote this afternoon, has been mounted at the Iziko South African Museum.
You are all welcome to join us together with members of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology and other guests on a walkabout at the exhibition immediately after this briefing.
We have also lined-up a very impressive list of speakers who will be making presentations on different science and technology related subjects.
At 12h00, Dr Olaf Conrad, the Programme Director of the HySA/Catalysis Competence Centre at the University of Cape Town will make a presentation, titled “Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: The potential for economic development”, also at Iziko Museum.
Our gala dinner will have Dr Hulda Swai, a principal researcher in biomaterials research at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) making a presentation on the development of nano-drug delivery systems with emphasis on delivering tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/Aids drugs.
I am told her research will focus on nano-medicine and recent development opportunities for Africa.
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: 012 843 6802
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: lunga.ngqengelele@dst.gov.za
Notes to Editors: Summary of DST actions
1 Investing in science for social and economic impact
Summary of actions
Since May 2009, the government has:
- supported projects demonstrating the application of technology in marine aquaculture, with a specific focus on empowering economically marginalised communities to establish viable commercial aquafarming initiatives.
- rolled-out rural broadband connectivity using a wireless mesh network benefitting about 150 schools in the Nkangala District Municipality in Limpopo.
- sponsored thin-layer concrete technology to improve foundations for low-cost housing, thus saving concrete and reducing CO2 emissions.
To take this further, we are now:
- making available a further R100 million for the titanium initiative over the next 3 years.
- using a donor-supported grant of R144 million to build the capacity of priority district municipalities to be in a better position to manage technology and innovation in meeting the challenges of service delivery.
2. Investing in the scientific and engineering workforce
Summary of actions
Since May 2009, the government has:
- Established 62 new research chairs, turning a R100 million-a-year initiative in 2008 into a R302 million-a-year initiative in 2012. The 62 new chairs bring the total number of chairs awarded to institutions to 152.
- Set up a project team to win the bid to host the SKA radio telescope
- built seven dishes of the KAT-7 (MeerKAT precursor) by January 2010. The completed KAT-7 provided information that led to the redesign of MeerKAT from 80 centre-fed dishes to 64 offset dishes, based on the final SKA design.
To take this further, we are now:
- establishing six new centres of excellence. By 2013/14 the centres programme will cost R131 million.
- investing a further R78 million in connectivity for six remotely located higher education institutions.
- devoting R734 million over the MTEF to the equipment programme and national facilities.
- extending the life-span of the Astronomy Desk for up to three years
- spending an extra R110 million in the 2012 MTEF on the internship programme
3. Investing in biotechnology and space science
Summary of actions
Since May 2009, the government has:
- launched SumbandilaSat, the micro-earth observation satellite, on 17 September 2009.
- launched SANSA
- established the African component of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, hosted by the University of Cape Town, that provides an opportunity to leverage a global network of biotechnology institutions in dealing with challenges such as HIV/Aids and malaria.
- set up through TIA (former LifeLAB), the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) 004 Phase II clinical trials. The CAPRISA 004 trial was a safety and effectiveness study testing the use of an antiretroviral (Tenofovir) that forms part of the existing treatment for HIV and Aids as a preventative microbicide.
To take this further, we are now:
Developing a plan for the construction of two micro-satellites in the next ten-years using lessons learnt from SumbandilaSat and a third Satellite as part of the African constellation of micro-satellites with three partner countries, Algeria, Nigeria and Kenya.
