South Africa needs to redirect its research and development focus from its pre-1994 emphasis on military technologies to new missions to improve national economic competitiveness and quality of life, the country's Minister of Science and Technology said yesterday.

Speaking at the opening of the three-day International Science, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (Insite), held in Midrand, Johannesburg, Mosibudi Mangena pointed out that South Africa's research and development (R&D) capacity is growing very slowly.

Mangena noted that the 2002 National R&D Survey revealed an increase in R&D spending, as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), to 0,76% in 2001, from 0,69% in 1997.

“We still have a long way to go before we can reach our intermediate target of 1% of GDP spend on R&D, which is a target many developing countries have committed to,” he said.

“It is in our interest to find technological innovations that would address some of our pressing problems, such as housing and energy shortages. As a country, we are hard-pressed to find affordable, but durable, building materials in the place of bricks and mortar, and develop a sustainable supply of cheaper and safer alternative forms of energy for many of our low-income families.”

Mangena argued that science and technology is one of the most powerful tools available for sustainable development.

“Therefore, it is imperative for government to assume a leading role in creating an environment in which innovations and advances in science and technology are systematically absorbed into the culture of our people. We have an obligation to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate the use of science and technology in the development of our country,” he added.

From a historical point of view, he stated, South Africa has come a long way since 1994, when a large section of the population had little access to information about science and technology.

“The White Paper on Science and Technology required the participation of all South Africans for the National System of Innovation to be successful. Hence, government was tasked to cultivate a society that understood and valued science, engineering and technology, and their role in sustainable economic development,” Mangena explained.

The challenge after 1994 was to build on the significant contributions to science that had been made, and to rejuvenate and broaden the demographic base of researchers in South Africa, he said.

“At the same time, the focus of R&D had to shift from military to civil innovation, which underpinned the socioeconomic needs of the country. An objective was to establish a system of funding and policy development that promoted more private sector involvement, encouraged competitiveness and reversed the decline in expenditure on R&D, which progressively fell from 1,04% in 1991, 0,75% in 1993, until it reached 0,69% in 1997.”

Commenting on Insite, Mangena the exhibition is more than just a showcase, with several important objectives underpinning the initiative.

Through Insite, government would like to create an international marketplace for innovation, science and technology (IST) in the context of long-term sustainability; to place a focus on IST solutions for the developing world; to promote IST partnerships for global sustainable development; to provide networking opportunities within the industry; and to enable IST experts from across the globe to identify joint activities and initiatives.

“We need to see in our society a preoccupation with science from the primary school level right up to the university level. In that context, I see Insite as a part of the overall thrust to create greater awareness and acceptance of the role of science and technology in our society,” Mangena said.