Years of Science and Technology Partnership with the European Union
29 November 2007
Programme Director
EU Commissioner for Science and Technology, Commissioner Potocnik
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I am very honoured and pleased to celebrate with you ten years of a fruitful
research, science and technology partnership between South Africa and the
European Union (EU). Europe has been a most valuable partner in our quest to
build a highly effective National System of Innovation in the democratic era in
South Africa.
Today we celebrate a highly significant relationship in addressing global
challenges. Key among these has been climate change, which we have together
sought to contribute through participating in multilateral fora such as the
Group on Earth Observation. The Framework Programme has also given us the
platform to create opportunities to enhance our relationship.
Of extreme importance to South Africa, and indeed the entire African
continent, is the question of health. The European and Developing Country
Clinical Trial Partnership Programme or as it is commonly referred to, the
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) has
helped cement our partnership in building a knowledge base to fight HIV,
Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The African office of the EDCTP, which is based at the Medical Research
Council here in Cape Town, enjoys support from my department and the Department
of Health. This is a clear indication of the importance of science and the
knowledge produced in its pursuit in the policy arena. The location of the
Third International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
campus in South Africa, which you will visit later this afternoon,
Commissioner, of course provides us additional resources for co-operation in
the health domain.
Today we celebrate ten years of a successful agreement on science and
technology, concluded between South Africa and the European Union in 1996. This
was the first intergovernmental agreement between South Africa and the EU, and
it came into force in November 1997. One of the benefits we have enjoyed from
this agreement is the opportunity it afforded South African researchers to
participate fully in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technology
Development. The privileged partnership, which was established under the
Agreement, complemented the longstanding political, economic and development
co-operation ties between South Africa and the European Union.
Thus ten years of mutually beneficial co-operation under the agreement, and
very successful South African participation in the Framework Programmes has
significantly contributed to enriching the global knowledge base, supporting
human resource development, and significantly contributed to improving the
quality of lives of our respective citizens.
The centrality of science and technology in the partnership between South
Africa and the European Union has been recognised and in fact, given increased
relevance in the recent revision of the South African-EU bilateral Trade,
Development and Co-operation Agreement.
The South African-EU Science and Technology co-operation is further supported
within the ambit of the European Programme for Reconstruction and Development
(EPRD) in South Africa.
Commissioner, we believe the achievements of the past ten years do indeed
give us cause to celebrate, and to be proud of our collective success. South
Africa is proud to be one of the most active and successful third country
participants of the EU's Framework Programmes.
South African researchers participated in more than 100 research projects
under the 4th and 5th Framework Programmes. Participation in the Sixth
Framework Programme proved to be most successful, with close to 140
participants in thematic areas, including aeronautics and space, transport and
the citizens and governance in the knowledge-based information society priority
areas.
We have been able to use this partnership to foster innovation in how we
support researchers in South Africa for their enhanced participation and
benefit. In this regard, we are proud of the role played by the European-South
African Science and Technology Advancement Programme (ESASTAP) in providing a
platform for enhancing this partnership. This has led to the gains we made
particularly in the FP6 round.
Through ESASTAP, we are now seeing increased participation also from the
private sector in the FP7, in addition to the traditional participants from
universities and science councils. This is a promising sign, and we shall be
working very hard to ensure more private sector participation. This is aligned
with the expected outcomes in our Ten Year Plan for Innovation, which is
essentially our next phase in building the South African National System of
Innovation (NSI).
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to express my appreciation to the national
contact points, without whose dedication to this work we would not be in a
position to celebrate. These passionate men and women - affectionately referred
to as National Contact Point (NCP)'s - constitute the main structure providing
guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation
in the Framework Programme. Their dedication and sacrifices to ensure that
South Africa does become a key player in the global science arena have not gone
unnoticed.
We now stand at the cusp of a new era, where we have a greater
responsibility to use our partnership as a powerful force for advancing
multilateral efforts to address the shared global challenges encompassing other
regions of the world. In this regard, let me take this opportunity to
acknowledge the role played by the SA-EU partnership to support the African
Science and Technology agenda. Of special importance is the co-operation within
the context of the EU support for implementing Africa's Science and Technology
Consolidated Plan of Action.
One of the stars in the constellation of our projects together is the
Network for the Co-ordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan African-EU Science
and Technology Cooperation. Through this project, one of the so-called
INCO-Nets, we shall increase and improve cooperation in science and technology
between the European Union and sub-Saharan Africa.
We already have a framework for co-operation in a multilateral fashion with
the inclusion of other regions such as the Caribbean and Pacific.
As I end these few remarks, Commissioner, let me take this opportunity to
congratulate you on the recent honour bestowed on you that of having the galaxy
called NCG-134 named after you. You will be interested to know that you are now
visiting the Cape where the galaxy was first discovered by Sir John
Herschel.
On the subject of galaxies and stars, I should also note that astronomy is
indeed one of the flagship areas for South AfricanâEU science cooperation.
Several EU Member States have invested in the Southern African Large Telescope,
the biggest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. We also
greatly appreciate the support the European Commission is providing, through
FP7 and the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), to
the development of the global Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. South
Africa is one of the candidate sites to host the SKA, but above all we are
fully committed to contributing resources and expertise to ensure the
successful realisation of this exciting project.
Who knows, ten years from now, a future European Commissioner for Science
and Research, during a visit to South Africa for the 20th anniversary of our
Agreement, may also have an astrophysical phenomenon named after him, following
a visit to the SKA - perhaps located in our Northern Cape province.
On that hopeful note, ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured, on behalf of my
country, the government and its people, to celebrate what has been a fruitful
ten-year relationship. We look forward an even more prolific ten years to
come.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
29 November 2007
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za)
