International Research Forum, Cape Town, South Africa

International Research Forum
International
Economic Impact of the South African International Research Partnerships
August 2012
Table of Contents
1. Introducon........................................................................................................................... ......................................... 2
1.1 Objecves .......................................................................................................................... ...................................... 2
1.2 Expected outcomes ................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Target parcipants ...................................................................................................................... ............................. 2
2. Presentaons .......................................................................................................................... ........................................ 2
2.1 Keynote presentaons .......................................................................................................................... ................... 2
a) Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology .............................................. 2
b) Mr Ken Okaniwa (Minister, Embassy of Japan) who spoke on behalf of Ambassador Yutaka Yoshizawa,
Ambassador of Japan to South Africa .............................................................................................................. 5
c) Chose Choeu, President, South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry................................................. 5
d) Prof Loyiso Nongxa, Vice-Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand ........................................................... 5
e) Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO, Naonal Research Foundaon .......................................................................... 5
f) Adv Jusce Bekebeke, Director-General, Northern Cape Provincial Government ........................................... 5
2.2 Session presenters ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Session facilitators ................................................................................................................................................... 6
2.4 Summary presentaons.......................................................................................................................... ................. 6
a) Prof Karen Theron, Stellenbosch University (Post-Harvest Technologies) ........................................................ 6
b) Prof Thokozani Majozi, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria (Water Management
Technologies)................................................................................................................. ................................... 8
c) Prof Laurent Dala, University of the Witwatersrand (Aerospace and Satellite Applicaon Technologies) ....... 8
d) Prof Gary Maartens, Head of Pharmacology, University of Cape Town (Pharmaceucal Technologies).......... 9
e) Prof Xiaohua Xia, Centre of New Energy Systems, University of Pretoria (Energy Eciency and Renewable
Energy Technologies) ...................................................................................................................................... 10
f) Prof Leslie Petrik, Group leader: Environmental and Nano Sciences, University of the Western Cape (Waste
Management Technologies) ........................................................................................................................... 13
3. Sasfacon survey ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.1 Level of parcipaon ........................................................................................................................... .................. 17
3.2 Comments by parcipants and presenters ............................................................................................................ 18
3.3 Recommendaons .......................................................................................................................... ....................... 22
4. Conclusions................................................................................................................. .................................................. 23
5. Contact .................................................................................................................... ..................................................... 24
1
International Research Forum Economic Impact of the South African International Research Partnerships
1. Introducon
b) A deeper understanding of the impact of public-private

sector internaonal research partnerships on economic
development.
c) An analysis of the role of public-private partnerships in
internaonal research cooperaon.
d) The establishment of new internaonal research
partnerships.
1.3 Target parcipants
The parcipants at the Internaonal Research Forum included
the following:
a)
Execuve and senior managers of naonal and internaonal

companies that do R&D.
b) The diplomac community and representaves of
internaonal organisaons promong science and
economic development in South Africa.
c) Heads and senior managers of research organisaons and
higher educaon instuons.
d) Researchers acve in applied or industrial research.
e) Execuve and senior government ocials.
2. Presentaons
2.1 Keynote presentaons
The speeches that were delivered by some of the keynote
speakers are presented below:
The Department of Science and Technology organised the

Internaonal Research Forum, during which leaders in business,
research and government shared best examples of internaonal
technology partnerships that have made a signicant social and
economic impact.
The objecves of the forum and its expected outcomes are
stated below.
1.1 Objecves
a)
To promote informaon exchange on exisng opportunies

for internaonal research partnerships that will contribute
to naonal economic development.
b) To showcase the economic impact of internaonal
scienc research partnerships between South African
industry, research organisaons, higher educaon and
their internaonal partners.
c) To enhance networking opportunies among industry
leaders, research leaders and government leaders in
support of the development of new internaonal research
and development (R&D) partnerships.
1.2 Expected outcomes
a)
The creaon of a plaorm for industry leaders, research

leaders, government leaders and polical leaders to
share more broadly the outputs, outcomes and impact
of the internaonal research partnerships that they are
supporng.
a) Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of

Science and Technology
Execuves and senior managers of local and internaonal
research companies, research organisaons and higher
educaon organisaons, researchers, government
colleagues, ladies and gentlemen:
May I start by saying what an honour and privilege it is
for me to address such an esteemed gathering. It is my
pleasure to extend a warm Cape Town welcome to you all,
especially to those of you who have travelled from abroad
to aend this very important forum. I sincerely hope that
the early spring sunshine is a good omen for this event.
The Department of Science and Technology is proud to host
this important event, as we endeavour to debate issues,
exchange ideas and arrive at posive conclusions that will
ulmately lead to signicant improvement in the quality of
life of millions of people, and at the same me promote
strategic internaonal relaons.
Some of you at this forum may have aended last weeks
Internaonal Research Conference at the Walter Sisulu
University in East London. Mr Tjama Tjivikua of Namibias
University of Science and Technology said at the conference
that research was about connecng ideas to reality,
and people to people. He also said that the relevance of
research lies in the fact that it brings soluons to problems
beseng people. I agree wholeheartedly with these
senments. Research would, aer all, remain a purely
2
we installed solar-powered water puricaon units and

provided local households with ceramic water lters.
More than 1 775 households in these villages now have
access to safe drinking water, showing how even relavely
simple innovave technologies can make a dierence in
the lives of ordinary people, parcularly those in poor and
vulnerable communies.
academic exercise if it did not lead to soluons to problems

and to an improvement in peoples lives.
Ladies and gentlemen, this forum has three objecves:
rstly, to facilitate an exchange of informaon regarding
exisng internaonal research opportunies; secondly,
to showcase the economic impact of internaonal
research partnerships and, thirdly, to enhance networking
opportunies among leaders in industry, academia and
government in support of the development of new
internaonal research and development partnerships.
So: what do we hope to achieve over the next two days?
Well, rstly, our hope would be that delegates will share, in
an open, transparent and producve manner, the outcomes
and impacts of the research partnerships they are part of
or supporng. Secondly, we hope to arrive at a deeper
understanding of how public-private sector internaonal
research partnerships benet economic development
and social programmes.
This forum will also give us an opportunity to ponder
the role of these partnerships in internaonal research
cooperaon. The nal desired outcome of this event, ladies
and gentlemen, is that it will ulmately lead to the new
research partnerships being established.
Given the forums focus on important technologies
involving inter alia water management, aerospace and
satellite applicaons, as well as renewable energy and
waste management, I have every condence that delegates
will emerge from this gathering of movated, like-minded
individuals feeling energised and galvanised.
Another example of a posive outcome from an

internaonal partnership was very much in evidence
yesterday, when Minister Naledi Pandor announced the
idencaon of a possible single-dose, orally administered
malaria cure following extensive research undertaken by
the Medicines for Malaria Venture based in Switzerland,
and the Drug Discovery and Development Centre, led by
Prof. Kelly Chibale, at the University of Cape Town.
Prof. Chibale quite rightly called this a proud day for
African science and African sciensts. This possible cure,
ladies and gentlemen, represents an African soluon to
save African lives malaria accounts for 24% of total child
deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. What makes this recently
discovered compound so excing is that, apart from being
a potenal single-dose malaria cure, it shows potent
acvity against mulple points in the malaria parasites lifecycle, and it might also be able to block transmission of the
parasite from person to person.
a great achievement and an excellent

example of the quality of research that can
be fostered in Africa
Dr Tim Wells
To quote Dr Tim Wells, the Chief Scienc Ocer of
Switzerlands Medicines for Malaria Venture, it is a great
achievement and an excellent example of the quality of
research that can be fostered in Africa. I would like to echo
the senments expressed by Minister Pandor yesterday
by congratulang this Swiss-SA partnership for developing
this drug and for providing world-class training for the next
generaon of African sciensts.
Ladies and gentlemen, by parcipang in internaonal

research partnerships, South Africa is able to both make
a signicant contribuon to global knowledge and, at the
same me, benet from internaonal research experse.
Our investment in research connues to reap rewards in
a number of elds, and the benets are passed on to our
countrys cizens. Allow me to cite a few examples.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are indeed excing mes for

research and science. Most of you will know that, at the
Internaonal Aids Conference in Washington DC towards
the end of July, Aids experts announced that signicant
progress had been made in the search for a cure for Aids.
Findings of several studies have shown that the HI virus
can be controlled and prevented from mulplying and be
completely eradicated in some cases through mechanisms
such as gene therapy.
A project was launched by the Department of Science and

Technology last year to provide clean drinking water in six
remote rural villages in the Eastern Cape, where people
had been collecng drinking water from polluted rivers
and streams. Partnering our science councils and the local
municipalies, and working closely with local communies,
On the subject of Aids, allow me to use this plaorm to

congratulate my colleagues at the Department of Health.
Over the course of only ve years, from 2005 to 2010, the
number of people receiving anretroviral treatment in our
country has increased tenfold: from 101 000 to well over a
million people.
There have also been breakthroughs in the treatment

of tuberculosis. According to the Global Alliance for TB
Drug Development, the results of a clinical trial on a new
combinaon of drugs to treat tuberculosis oers new hope
to TB paents, including those who are HIV-posive. The
new drug cocktail was found to kill 99% of TB bacteria
within two weeks. This is a phenomenal development,
especially given the fact that there have been no new drugs
to treat TB in the past 40 years.
Ladies and gentlemen, our government is the largest
funder of research and development in this country, with
the Department of Science and Technology priorising
research, development and innovaon in seeking to
provide policy leadership in areas such as Space Science
and Technology, Hydrogen and Energy, and Biotechnology
and Health Innovaon.
The recognion by our department of the importance
of research is further strengthened by the fact that just
over 1% of the worlds scienc researchers are from
Africa yet this connent accounts for more than 13% of
the worlds populaon. Responding to this and to other
challenges, the Department has developed the Research,
Development and Innovaon Infrastructure Funding
Framework, which will improve the research infrastructure
of South Africas higher educaon and research instuons
to make them more globally compeve and more
aracve to internaonal students and researchers. The
funding framework priorises four areas, namely scienc
equipment, specialised facilies, high-end infrastructure
and access to global infrastructure.
To be able to respond to some of the fundamental quesons
of science, we simply have to parcipate in research eorts
using that global infrastructure, as it provides capability
beyond the resources available at regional or naonal level.
One of the best examples of this sort of global infrastructure
is the Square Kilometre Array telescope, which will be
largely be located in South Africa and eight African partner
countries. Upon compleon it will be by far the most
sensive telescope in the world, and could shed light on
many of the as yet unanswered quesons about the origins
of our universe, and things like dark energy, that we know
about but which are lile understood.
Sharing infrastructure means sharing resources and skills,
which in turn facilitates research, for example on aspects
of climate change and changes occurring in our oceans,
natural resources and the atmosphere. This is the kind of
research that individual countries would not be able to
undertake in isolaon. Allow me to give a short overview of
South Africas internaonal research cooperaon.
Today, our country has more than 30 binaonal science
and technology agreements, compared to a mere handful
in 1994. In 1996 we signed a science and technology
agreement with Germany, resulng in the establishment
of a joint research fund. To date, ladies and gentlemen,
this partnership has funded more than 400 research and
development projects.
At the end of March of this year, 67 students were involved
in the research projects under the Swiss/South African

Joint Research Programme. In 2011 and in the rst half of
this year, 22 young South African researchers aended a
summer school in Switzerland. Four of these entrepreneurs
have subsequently started their own companies.
We have also formed internaonal research partnerships on
this connent. To date, we have funded joint projects with
African partners to an esmated value of over R50 million,
helping to facilitate acve research networks between
South African researchers and researchers from African
partners such as Algeria, Namibia, Kenya, Mozambique,
Zambia, Egypt and Angola.
Domescally, the South African government connues
to provide resources in support of scienc research
partnerships. Our eight science councils are all engaged
in technology transfer and capacity-building by
undertaking research for social, scienc and technological
development development that leads to an improvement
in living standards for all South Africans.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you draw from and contribute
to this Internaonal Research Forum over the next two
days, remember that scienc research leads to scienc
knowledge the key to developing soluons to the
challenges confronng us. This must be the ulmate goal
of research. The American author Bill Bryson once said:
Think of a single problem confronng the world today
disease, poverty, global warming. If the problem is going
to be solved, it is science that is going to solve it. If anyone
ever cures cancer, it will be a guy with a science degree. Or
a woman with a science degree.
To conclude, I wish you all a rewarding and producve
forum. We must intensify our eorts to take science to
the people. Keep on with your research, because, as the
great astronomer Carl Sagan reminds us, Somewhere,
something incredible is waing to be known.
I thank you.
Please see the video and PowerPoint slides at hp://www.

dst.gov.za/forum2012.
f)
Adv. Jusce Bekebeke, Director-General: Northern Cape

Provincial Government
Please see the video at hp://www.dst.gov.za/forum2012.
2.2 Session presenters

Some of the presentaons delivered by the presenters below
can be accessed at hp://www.dst.gov.za/forum2012.
b) Mr Ken Okaniwa (Minister, Embassy of Japan), who spoke

on behalf of Ambassador Yutaka Yoshizawa, Ambassador
of Japan to South Africa
Please see the video and PowerPoint slides at hp://www.
dst.gov.za/forum2012.
c)
e) Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO: Naonal Research

Foundaon
Mr Chose Choeu, President: South African Chamber of

Commerce and Industry
d) Prof. Loyiso Nongxa, Vice-Chancellor: University of the

Witwatersrand
1) Postharvest Technologies
a) Brenda Koornneef, Business Execuve, Group
Markeng and Corporate Strategy, Tiger Brands
b) Jan Lievens, Senior Consultant, Umhwebo Trading
Enterprise Miatech Post Harvest South Africa
c) Stuart Symington, CEO, Perishable Products Export
Control Board
d) Prof. Linus Opara, DST-NRF South African Research
Chair in Postharvest Technology, Stellenbosch
University
2) Water Management Technologies
a) Graham Trusler, CEO, Digby Wells Environmental
b) Marn Pryor, General Manager: Process & Technology,
Aveng Water
c) Don Hunter, Managing Director, FFS Reners
d) Dr Henk Vasmel, Vice President: Wells and Facilies,
Shell
3) Aerospace and Satellite Applicaon Technologies

a) Shaun Hendricks, Managing Execuve: Strategic
Projects Group, Tellumat
b) Beeuwen Gerryts, Naonal Contact Point, Aeronaucs
c) Dr Paul Potgieter, Group Managing Director, Aerosud
d) Dale King, Senior Manager: Internaonal R and T
Partnerships, Airbus
e) Thierry Leveugle, Vice President, Research and
Technology, Astrium Space Transportaon
e) Prof. Leslie Petrik, Environmental and Nano Sciences,

University of the Western Cape
2.3 Session facilitators
The six sessions in 2.2 were facilitated by the following:
a)
b)
4) Pharmaceucal Technologies
a) Dr Morena Makhoana, CEO, Biovac Instute
b) Dr Stephan Haitz, Head of Business Development,
Lonza AG.
c) Dr Colin Pillai, Global Head of D and I, Development,
Novars Pharma AG
d) Val Beaumont, Execuve Director, Innovave Medicine
South Africa
5) Energy Eciency and Renewable Energy Technologies
a) Ute Menikheim, Head of Energy, Siemens
b) Carl Kleynhans, Country President, Schneider Electric
Southern Africa
c) Dr Steve Lennon, Divisional Execuve, Eskom
d) Chris Willis, Analyst, Bloomberg New Energy Finance,
Cape Town
e) Dr Paul Kim, Vice President, Lighng and Building
Management Systems Soluons, LG Electronics
6) Waste Management Technologies
a) Dr Thulani Dlamini, Execuve Manager: Global
Research and Development, Sasol
b) Dr Johan Schoonraad, Treatment and Disposal
Soluons, Enviroserv
c) Mike Nicholls, Divisional Director: Technical Services,
Interwaste
d) Abrie Wessels, Regional General Manager: Cape,
Veolia Water
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Blanche Ting, Specialist: Biotechnology and Health,

Department of Science and Technology
Dr Jon Burns, Chief Technical Adviser, The Dialogue
Facility
Dr Jones Papo, Manager: Physical Metallurgy, Mintek
Dr Zeblon Vilakazi, Director, iThemba LABS
Glaudina Loots, Director: Health Innovaon,
Jazze Mokoena, Acng Execuve Director, Energy and
Sustainable Economic Development
Khalid Manjoo, Head of Satellite AIT, SunSpace
Mapula Tshangela, Director: Sustainable Development,
Department of Environmental Aairs
Mlungisi Cele, Director: Strategy and Planning,
Naim Rassool, General Manager: Business
Development, Technology Innovaon Agency
Ramona Towell, Chief of Sta, Private Oce of the
Premier (Northern Cape)
2.4 Summary of presentaons

Summaries of all the presentaons delivered during the six
sessions in 2.2 are presented below.
a) Prof. Karen Theron, Stellenbosch University (Post-Harvest
Technologies)
Four speakers made presentaons under this theme. The
rst was Brenda Koornneef, business execuve from Tiger
Brands, followed by Jan Lievens, senior consultant from
Miatech Post Harvest South Africa, then Stuart Symington,

CEO of Perishable Products Export Control Board, and
nally Prof. Linus Opara, South African Research Chair
in Postharvest Technology, Department of Horcultural
Science, Stellenbosch University.
The rst presentaon by Ms Koornneef presented the
posion of postharvest technology from the perspecve
of a large company and their strategy for innovaon. They
have a strategy to diversify and grow their business by
rstly using in-house research and development (R&D) and
technology which is largely planned around their strategy.
Aer determining what can be done in-house, they develop
regional and internaonal partnerships by open-source
networking to develop other innovave ideas.
Jan Lievens, an engineer, discussed the dierence
between research, the search for knowledge or, in
general, any systemic invesgaon to establish facts, as
well as the scienst who engages in systemic acvity to
acquire knowledge. Sciensts perform research for a
more comprehensive understanding of nature, including
physical, mathemacal and social realms. He then
stressed the importance of nding ways to transfer the
excellent research done by sciensts to technology to be
used in industry by the consumer. In the case of certain
postharvest technology aspects, e.g. relave humidity
control in cold stores, this transfer should be done by
engineers. In the case of other postharvest aspects this role
will fall to so-called agricultural engineers, e.g. postharvest
horculturists.
the Post Harvest Innovaon (PHI) fund, funded by the

DST, which aims to try to retain or maintain the situaon
in the fruit industries, as well as global compeveness
by facilitang or supporng research and maintaining or
growing capacity. He alluded to the successes of the PHI
programme, but also the challenge of the connuity of
funding.
Linus Opara discussed the growing problems internaonally
in terms of food security. These include a growing
world populaon, limited resources and the populaon
becoming more discerning and wanng more choices. We
therefore have to conserve what we produce. Currently
about a third of food produced is lost and not consumed.
Improved postharvest technologies can address some of
these losses. We therefore need to invest in educaon and
R&D. He showed data that indicated that in 2009 one of
the disappearing jobs was that of the agricultural engineer,
while the needed jobs listed for 2022 had agricultural
engineer third on the list, aer mathemacs and robocs.
This es in well with what was said by Jan Lievens.
In conclusion, it can be said that strategies are needed to
idenfy key themes that are important. Thereaer sustained
support, both nancial and in terms of capacity, needs
to be found to support these themes. The presentaon
earlier in the day by the Japanese Embassy was a case in
point: it was explained how the Japanese idenfy key areas
that need research and then develop a long-term vision to
support these themes by funding and capacity-building in
those areas, in order for their economy to be successful.
Stuart Symington looked at the changing world within

which the fruit industries have to operate and where they
have to innovate to stay ahead. Examples of global risks that
threaten the compeveness of fruit industries are the lack
of crical informaon infrastructure, general infrastructure
fragility and extreme energy price volality. He discussed
g)
Prof. Thokozani Majozi, Department of Chemical

Engineering, University of Pretoria (Water Management
Technologies)
Abstract
The session on water management technologies involved
four speakers from diverse backgrounds, albeit within
the water management sector. The rst presenter was
Graham Trusler from Digby Wells Environmental, who
presented on water research needs in South Africa. The
second presenter was Marn Pryor from Aveng Water,
who gave the perspecve of the infrastructure company on
the value of research, development an innovaon. He was
followed by Donald Hunter from FFS Reneries, who gave
an overview of technology in the waste oil industry. The
last presenter was Henk Vasmel from Wells and Facilies
in Shells Global Innovaon and R&D Organizaon, whose
presentaon was on water management in energy. The key
message from all presenters was that there was a need for
signicant investment in skills, research and technology
development within the water and energy sectors to bring
about meaningful and posive change. The inextricable
link between water and energy was strongly emphasised.
Discussion on water management technologies
In highlighng research needs in South Africa, acid mine
drainage, fracking and sewage spillage emerged as the main
threats to available water resources. The soluon to these
immediate threats will require an integrated water resource
management approach. The laer should be founded on
reducon of waste at source, instead of tradional endof-pipe treatment methods. Waterless sanitaon systems
were also cited as a viable candidate soluon to water
conservaon. However, the design and implementaon of
these systems will require a signicant number of highly
trained people, which South Africa currently does not have.
The agricultural and urban sectors were idened as key to
water conservaon, since they collecvely consume more
than 85% of available water, compared to industry and
power generaon that consume 3% and 2%, respecvely.
Most of the technologies for water recovery have proven
to be a great success in various industries, including
petrochemicals and power generaon. In parcular,
membrane systems, like reverse osmosis and ultraltraon,
have demonstrated water recovery in excess of 90%, which
renders membrane technology an aracve opon. The
use of membrane technology in desalinaon of seawater is
well established in most parts of the world where water is
scarce. Unfortunately, these systems also require signicant
amounts of energy, hence the water-energy nexus. Given
South Africas energy constraints, this might prove not to
be a viable opon, at least for the foreseeable future.
The solid link between water and energy was emphasised
in the presentaon on research iniaves at Shells Global
Innovaon and R&D Organizaon. In essence, their holisc
and comprehensive approach to water management
involves energy as well as food. The raonale is that
one needs water to grow crops that ulmately provide
food. On the other hand, the ow of water from source

to plantaons requires energy. As a result, any water
management strategy that excludes food and energy is
bound to be largely unsuccessful. It is imperave to address
the water-energy-food nexus within the context a growing
world populaon. The current world populaon is 7 billion
and is predicted to peak at 9 billion around 2050. Over the
last few years, Shell has invested more than US$1 billion in
coming up with integrated water management soluons.
Some of the successes that are worthy of menon include
the use of domesc euent as makeup for cooling towers
at the Sapref facility a joint venture between Shell and
BP in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the largest zeroliquid discharge GTL facility in the world in Qatar and a
45 000 m3/day reed bed water treatment plant in Oman.
The issue of fracking was also discussed at length and it was
highlighted that fracking remains a viable opon for cheap
energy, parcularly if opportunies for water recovery are
fully exhausted. Where possible, water could be imported
instead of using local water resources, which has always
been a bone of contenon.
Some crical observaons
There was consensus that a working soluon to water
management would invariably require a comprehensive
and an integrated approach. Consequently, all intervenons
should seek to achieve this fundamental goal, which
mandates a greater eort towards developing new
technologies.
h) Prof. Laurent Dala, University of the Witwatersrand

(Aerospace and Satellite Applicaon Technologies)
There were ve speakers in the session: Mr Shaun
Hendricks, Managing Execuve: Strategic Project Group,
spoke about the Tellumat experience in the Aviaon
Sector; Mr Beeuwen Gerryts, Chief Director: Localisaon

and Advanced Manufacturing, Department of Science and
Technology, discussed the strategic drivers for aeronaucs
R&D in South Africa. An overview of the Joint Aerospace
Steering Commiee put in place by the Department of
Science of Technology was given; Dr Paul Potgieter, Group
Managing Director, Aerosud, presented the success stories
in manufacturing as a supplier for Boeing and Airbus and
the role of an R&D strategy for the aerospace industry and
South Africa; Mr Dale King, Senior Manager: Internaonal
Research and Technology (R&T) Partnership, Airbus,
spoke about the importance of the Internaonal Research
Cooperaon in Aeronaucs; and Mr Thierry Leveugle,
Vice-president: Research and Technology, Astrium Space
Transportaon, discussed the success factors and challenges
for Space Transportaon Research and Technology.
The main themes of these talks were A Common
Understanding of the Aerospace Market and Convergence
in the Proposed Soluons.
The South African Aerospace Industry is part of a global
market. Its role within the local market is not only economic,
but also a social driver for the country. The South African
Aerospace Community must redene its posion within
the global market by having the right atude and by
carefully choosing the industry drivers. The success stories,
not only in manufacturing, but also in system integraons,
for instance, must be marketed to local and internaonal
partners.
A new model is required to link the aerospace industry,
the Council for Scienc and Industrial Research (CSIR)
and the universies. The aerospace industry must drive
the applied research, and there must be connuity in the
aerospace R&D programmes to enhance knowledge, local
and internaonal collaboraons and skills development.
The South African Aerospace Sector Development plan
is key to dening the cross-cung themes. A process
must be dened between industry, research centres and

universies based on clear objecves, clear milestones,
clear deliverables, evaluaon of the projects, a return on
investment and clear instruments to measure maturity
(technology-readiness level) of technology.
Internaonal companies face many technical and
human challenges. They are increasingly looking for new
internaonal opportunies to source soluons directly.
They are looking for opportunies to share the technical,
human and nancial challenges with new partners, because
the market, customers and suppliers are increasingly global.
i)
Prof. Gary Maartens, Head of Pharmacology, University of

Cape Town (Pharmaceucal Technologies)
There were four speakers in this session: Dr Morena
Makhoana spoke about South Africa rebuilding its
manufacturing capacity for vaccines; Dr Stephan Haitz
discussed technology transfer to improve South Africas
pharmaceucal manufacturing capacity; Dr Colin Pillai
discussed the role that global pharmaceucal industries
could play in training researchers from South Africa; and
Val Beaumont discussed clinical research. There were many
shared themes in these four talks and in the discussions
which followed.
Five main themes were idened:
First, the global disease burden is disproporonately
high in low and middle-income countries, but nearly all
the research and development occurs in high-income
countries. Manufacturing is also disproporonately higher
in high-income countries. This is of parcular concern in
respect of vaccines, which are crucially important to public
health. It is grafying that South Africa is rebuilding its
vaccine manufacturing capacity, which will serve a large
perhaps funded in part by prots from manufacturing.

Fih, clinical research creates many jobs and brings in
funding (an esmated R1,75 billion in 2009). Most clinical
research done in South Africa is funded and iniated by the
internaonal pharmaceucal industry. Although industry
research does not usually involve innovaon from South
African researchers, it does provide clinical research training
and allows research groups to develop infrastructure and
crical mass. This then improves their capacity to conduct
invesgator-iniated research. Delays in geng clinical
research protocols approved was idened as a barrier to
clinical research, but there has been improvement recently
with the turnaround mes by the regulatory authority, the
Medicines Control Council. Clinical researchers working in
the state sector also face barriers due to the compeng
interests of providers and researchers.
j)
region of Africa.
Second, research capacity in this eld is limited in South
Africa. There is insucient postgraduate research training.
Capacity is further hampered by the brain drain. An excellent
example of private sector research training by internaonal
pharmaceucal industry was provided by Novars. Other
companies that also provide training include SanoAvens. More funding for research is essenal if South
Africa is going to develop capacity for drug discovery. Longterm funding was idened as a key issue. Basic research
into drug discovery is high-risk and funders should not
expect direct nancial returns.
Third, there is a need for public-private partnerships.
Drug development is extremely expensive. It is realisc
for South African researchers to develop novel chemical
enes, illustrated by the recent announcement of
a novel anmalarial drug developed here, but it is
unrealisc for all phases of drug development to be done
without internaonal private sector involvement. Drug
manufacture, especially vaccine manufacture, is complex
and expensive, and requires experse and co-funding from
the private sector.
Fourth, will the increased state investment in
pharmaceucal manufacturing result in increased research
and development? There is no doubt that pharmaceucal
and vaccine manufacture requires the skills of people
who have had postgraduate research training. However,
in general, basic research and development occurs in
academia, research instutes and small biotechnology
companies rather than in manufacturing plants. Increased
investment in manufacturing should be accompanied
by increased investment in research and development,
Prof. Xiaohua Xia, Centre of New Energy Systems,

University of Pretoria (Energy Eciency and Renewable
Energy Technologies)
This session had ve presenters. They are Ute Menikheim,
Head of Energy, Siemens; Carl Kleynhans, Country
President, Schneider Electric, Southern Africa; Dr
Steve Lennon, Divisional Execuve, Eskom; Chris Willis,
Bloomberg; and Dr Paul Kim, Vice President, Lighng and
Building Management Systems Soluons, LG Electonics,
South Korea.
In her presentaon entled Siemens - Global leaders
in innovave technology soluons, Ute Menikheim
introduced Siemens, Siemens research and development
programmes and how Siemens strives to enhance the
quality of life through R&D. She listed and described
Siemens energy soluons, such as wind power with
Siemens rotor blades the longest in the world smart-grid
soluons, their fossil division, and clean coal electricaon.
She elaborated on Siemens R&D in South Africa, namely
partnering with the University of Johannesburg in the Solar
Challenge race, with the Technology Innovaon Agency
(TIA) in managing R&D, in the Ambassadors Programme
to strengthen collaboraon with universies, in the Cyber
Junkyard project in fostering relaonships between industry
and universies, and in skills development in empowering
people to develop the country.
Carl Kleynhans made a presentaon on Make the most
of your energy. He introduced Schneiders electric energy
(EE) management soluon the EcoStructure Integrated
EE architecture, and Schneider Electrics energy eciency
philosophy of metering, LHF, automang and monitoring,
and tested-validated documentaon. He described in
detail their range of products: healthcare power soluons,
data centre power soluons, building power soluons,
industry power soluons, marine power soluons, smart
grid and vehicle charging, as well as their renewable energy
soluons ranging from wind, solar to backup power, with
both residenal and commercial applicaons.
The tle of Dr Steve Lennons presentaon was What does
Eskom seek in an R&D partnership? In this presentaon,
Eskoms exisng memberships and associaons (147

partners, R26 million/year, R22 million for the Electric
Power Research Insitute (EPRI), in parcular, as well
as Eskoms research partnerships and networks
(internaonal, local and in Africa) were reviewed. Eskoms
10 principles for a good partnership were introduced,
and the benets of partnerships and factors hindering
success analysed. Examples were given to show how
Eskom decides whether to engage or not in partnerships
with EPRI, Enel and Nissan by invoking the 10 principles.
In concluding his presentaon, Dr Lennon listed Eskoms
future needs in internaonal partnerships in areas of
energy eciency, smart-grid technology and resource
management. He indicated that Eskom had many exisng
research agreements, some of which could be leveraged
for the good of the country. From an Eskom perspecve,
South Africa should be seeking partnerships in the
following areas: energy eciency, renewables, nuclear
energy, water, clean coal and asset management. In
summary, not all partnerships work. There are several
factors that dene a good relaonship and some potenal
pialls. Partnerships require a fair contribuon, dedicated
resources, contribuons and commitment.
Chris Willis, in his presentaon, Trends in Clean
Technology R&D Investment, introduced the Bloomberg
New Energy Finance concept to the audience. He gave
a detailed analysis of the global investment landscape
($263 billion in 2011) by sector, namely solar, wind, bioand smart technologies, as well as of new investment by
region, with parcular emphasis on sub-Saharan clean
energy development in recent years. One interesng point
was that Kenya made the largest investment from 20092011 as a country in the region. Lastly, he described four
factors aecng investment in energy security: the cost of
hydrocarbons, the trend to move away from diesel, the
global solar photovoltaic (PV)/wind tari movements, and
the development benets. On the last issue, he predicted
that most jobs will be created in PV by 2020, and that for
projects greater than 1 MW, 30 jobs will be created per
MW.
The last presentaon by Dr Paul Kim was entled LG Smart
Energy Soluons. One of the four product pillars of the LG
Corporaon, which has over 200 000 employees, is the aircondioning and energy secon. This secon specically
targets residenal and commercial applicaons and
soluons, because LG esmates that 25% of total energy
consumpon comes from these two sectors, and 80% of the
total consumpon of these two sectors comes from lighng
and HVAC (heang, venlaon and air condioning). LGs
total HVAC and energy soluons consist of the mul-V
(VRF variable refrigerant ow) system (energy saving,
inverter, intelligent control and communicaon); the chiller
(centrifugal, absorpon, 2-stage centrifugal and screw
types); LED lighng; plasma lighng technology (indoor,
ood/sports lights longer life, 30% saving); and LGs BMS
and BeMS (building management system/building energy
management system). These soluons are demonstrated
by vercal applicaons in LGs headquarters (HVAC (28%
saving), BMS, lighng (13,8% saving)), and the retail chain
stores (RE (renewable energy), LED lighng, smart HVAC,
30% saving), to be deployed naonally.
2
k)
Prof. Leslie Petrik, Group Leader: Environmental and

Nano Sciences, University of the Western Cape (Waste
Management Technologies)
was required to prevent inappropriate and unsustainable

waste management pracces by business. Businesses would
adapt and innovate accordingly.
In the context of the workshop and the problems highlighted

in respect of waste management, the following remarks
were made by Prof. Petrik:
It was not sustainable to maximise extracon and growth at

all costs. We live in a closed, limited system, as has become
abundantly clear from the water scarcity and waste/
polluon issues. It is not wise to proliferate without restraint
or consume and degrade resources ad innitum. The
current modus operandi is creang a very uncertain future.
Some objecves being considered (for instance the SKA
requirements for clear, unpolluted skies vs. the outcomes of
air and water polluon from developments that would arise
around gas fracking) were mutually exclusive, and long-term
sustainability was preferable to short-term, short-sighted
growth strategies or exploitaon. Our fragile ecosystem was
inherited from our predecessors and we should not be known
as the generaon that irreversibly despoiled it through our
greed and lack of prudence. The growth model was touted
as the route to poverty alleviaon without consideraon of
the undermining eect of rampant populaon growth and
the aendant pressure on resources over consumpon,
polluon and environmental degradaon.
Prof. Loyiso said that sustainability and climate change

were global challenges that should be addressed as part of
the global community; the naonal system of innovaon
should not be isolated. Prof. Van Jaarsveld pointed out
that there were several dierent types of economies
and that a knowledge-based economy meant that a
compeve advantage had to be retained, which would
require a perpetual cycle of innovaon. He also menoned
that technology development outpaced the take-up of
innovaon. Adv. Jusce Bekebeke noted that the advantages
of the natural environment should be protected with
diligence. Many growth indicators were discussed over the
two days of the workshop, but no indicators of the health
system or sustainability were considered unl the waste
management sessions.
It was noted by one speaker that the Bill of Rights and the
Constuon stated that each cizen had the right to an
environment that was not harmful to health, as well as the
right to have the environment protected for the benet of
present and future generaons.
In general it could be understood that companies were
externalising costs as far as possible, since their business
models were to maximise shareholder prot in the short to
medium term by maximising margins and minimising costs.
Industry could not be a social change agent by itself within
the current economic model. It was made clear by the
speakers that companies would respond to the law and that
external regulaon, policing and compliance monitoring
Thulani Dlamini, Execuve Manager: Global Research and

Development, Sasol, highlighted the footprint of each process
of their hydrocarbon processing facilies that required
suitable pracces for waste management. He menoned
the increasingly stringent legislave environment which
required research in waste management. Sasols wastes
were derived from the coal gasicaon and Fischer-Tropsch
processes, the renery operaons, as well as from the
ulies. Gasicaon resulted in coarse and ne ash, which
was their largest waste stream requiring beneciaon. Tar
and waste oils also resulted from this process. The FischerTropsch process resulted in spent catalysts and hydrocarboncontaminated waste water. The renery process resulted in
hydrocarbon waste, sludge, gunk, waste oil, waste water
noted that CO2 capture and migaon costs will have a huge
impact on operaons that sll need to be resolved.
and spent catalysts. Ulies such as steam cooling and

power generaon resulted in ne ash, bio-sludge, brines,
hydrocarbon sludge and inorganic sludge. Ash presented
85% of the waste, and 9 100 kilotons/annum were produced.
Currently, aer 30 years of producon, Sasol had 300 million
tons of ash stored on site. Hazardous waste amounted to 84
kilotons/annum, recycle waste amounted to 1 208 kilotons/
annum and non-hazardous wastes such as waste water and
biosludge amounted to 409 kilotons/annum.
The waste management philosophy at Sasol encompassed
the cradle to cradle approach and took due cognisance of
the duty of care to the environment and people. Waste
was currently managed by integrated waste procedures
and hazardous waste was disposed of in licensed hazardous
waste sites or incinerated. Non-hazardous waste was
landlled or recycled. Coal combuson residues were
stored on site and various opons for value addions were
menoned. Since 2008 waste avoidance had become the
operaonal philosophy. The most preferable opon was to
avoid, reduce or reuse the waste. If this was not possible,
it was necessary to recycle, recover and treat the waste.
The least preferable opon was to dispose of the waste.
The transion to this new waste hierarchy was dicult to
implement and required monitoring and adequate recordkeeping. Currently Sasol was invesng between R10-15
million in R&D in collaborave research partnerships.
Coal combuson residues, namely ash (both coarse and
ne), was being reused as a cement addive, an aggregate
in concrete, road construcon, alternave building materials
and, more controversially, as salt sink, a pracce which had
been shown to be unsustainable. It was menoned that
4,2 billion cement bricks were produced for the period
from 2004 to 2009, creang many jobs. Through the brick
manufacturing, the esmated capping and closure costs for
the coal combuson residues, which was esmated to be
R60 million, was externalised. Cement brick manufacture
also reduced the amount of CO2 released, as the CO2 intensity
of ash brick manufacture was much lower than tradional
brickmaking. In road construcon the ash is stabilised with
a bitumen emulsion and its leaching and toxicity was being
studied. Weathered ne ash was being considered for
geopolymer materials as alternave building materials, and
the density of cured foam panels allowed a weight-saving of
72%. The extracon of aluminium from ash was not found to
be viable because of the high energy input required. It was
The next speaker was Dr Johan Schoonraad from Enviroserv,

who was in charge of their treatment and disposal soluons.
Dr Schoonraad reviewed the companys prole and made
the audience aware of the current and impending legislave
burden that companies faced. He reminded us of the
entrenched rights of each cizen, present and future,
to an environment not harmful to health. There were
many prohibions in the legislave pipeline that would
limit companies disposal pracces, such as landlling,
and he noted the impact of several new Acts such as the
Constuon (Act 108 of 1996). Dr Schoonraad menoned
several ways to reduce and remediate waste used by
Enviroserv to address the needs of their clients. These were
mechanochemical technologies that were used to treat
contaminated soils, vibratory shear-enhanced membrane
processes that minimised fouling of membranes that were
used to deal with high-salt euents, and the hydroclave
that was used for incineraon of medical waste. He noted
that organics such as halogenated hydrocarbons, DDT, PCB,
petroleum hydrocarbons, pescides, endocrine disruptors,
etc., were becoming an increasing polluon problem and
incineraon costs were too high. New, low-cost ways to
reduce waste were required.
The following speaker was Mr Mike Nicholls, Divisional
Director of Technical Services at Interwaste. Mr Nicholls
presented a company prole of Interwaste. The operaonal
philosophy of their company was that they consider waste
residues of value. Disposal of waste was a waste of waste.
Their companys general approach to waste was to try to
prevent or reduce its producon in the rst place or, if that
could not be done, to change the hazard prole by reducing
the hazards posed by the waste. The company unl recently
did not own a landll site and, for instance, reused a million
cubic metres of waste per annum, as can be seen in their
World Island project in Dubai. The company trades in waste
commodies. The drivers for technological improvement are
cost and legislaon. Waste has an inherent value and industry
should not sterilise the value by wasng waste, such as is
done when co-disposal is pracced diluon of polluon
is no soluon. He noted that disposal to landll became
more costly and was not linear over me, and disposal costs
increased unl a point where it made economic sense for
the industry to invest in prevenng, reducing, reusing and
recycling, rather than disposal. Innovaon oen solved the
cost issue and he menoned that the legislave banning of
a pracce oen acted as an incenve to consider alternave
routes, for example hydrocarbon waste at Sasol was now
used as alternave fuel in cement kilns.
The industry had to consider the opportunity costs of not
beneciang the waste versus the overall costs of disposal.
The costs of compliance were signicant and had to include
the costs of regular audits. It was also necessary to take into
account the price uctuaon in the value of the resources
held in the waste, which could aect the beneciaon
process. In some cases it was necessary to store the waste
unl such me as the future value held in the waste could
be realised. It was necessary to choose the value drivers,
which were risk versus the value chain in order to determine

the cost/benet rao. There was the opon to share the risk
as well as the reward with the client, which could reduce
the full costs of disposal. The value in the waste could be
its carbon content as alternave fuel, or precious or base
metal content.
were present in very low concentraons parts per billion

and were dicult to detect and dicult to remove by
convenonal water treatment processes. A database was
needed of the types of contaminants and their sources and
it was essenal to develop ways to rapidly monitor and
validate water quality. An integrated approach to manage
energy and water reuse was recommended and combined
technologies should be chosen by industry with a view to
reducing operang costs, reducing the CO2 footprint and
reducing the water footprint.
The nal speaker was Mr Abrie Wessels, who is the regional

general manager of Cape Veolia Water. Aer presenng a
company prole, he menoned that waste could be seen as
a hidden resource; waste is wasted at high cost to industry
and the environment. He emphasised that it was necessary
to protect environmental resources from polluon. Waste
was oen not ulised owing to factors such as locaon, a
lack of necessary infrastructure and ulity requirements, as
well as the quality. Industrial reuse was more feasible where
the source of waste and end-user were in close proximity.
Mr Wessels spoke about hidden water and its recovery from
either municipal or industrial sources. The disadvantage of
waste water reuse was that it was a complex euent, oen
of high salinity and contaminated with heavy metals and
radionuclides or endocrine disruptors, parally metabolised
pharmaceucals, etc. Recovered water had a yuck factor
associated with it, in that people did not readily accept
recycling of waste euents to drinking water. Accordingly,
about 85% of waste water resources were not ulised
properly. Mr Wessels then enumerated various waste water
treatment technologies and pointed out that there was no
one single soluon for all waste water categories, but that
the technologies had to be adapted or combined to achieve
the desired end-water quality. Organics in water could be
converted to biogas. A few examples of successful water
treatment facilies were discussed, for instance the plant at
Arcelor Mial where industrial waste water was put through
a soening and claricaon cycle, followed by mulmedia
ltraon, reverse osmosis and water recovery, while the
sludges produced were further concentrated by evaporaon
and crystallisaon.
To summarise, it is necessary to adopt a cauonary principle

to reduce foreseeable risk. Cradle to cradle accounng is
necessary with a clear understanding of the comparave CO2
footprints of various migaon routes in order to choose the
most viable waste management opons. Many processes
in industry were externalising the costs of environmental
degradaon by not taking into account the full life cycle and
all the aendant impacts. Regulaon, if enforced properly,
would act as driver to ensure that these impacts and their
associated costs could not be externalised by industry.
3. Sasfacon survey
3.1 Level of parcipaon
The maximum number of people that could be accommodated
at the venue of the Internaonal Research Forum was limited to
300 people. This target was reached as 301 people registered to
parcipate and 62% (186 delegates) aended the Forum.
All parcipants were requested to complete a sasfacon survey
to assess their level of sasfacon. The results, which are based
on a response rate of 32% (i.e. 37 completed evaluaon forms),
indicate that many parcipants were very sased with the
sessions with keynote speakers, while a small number were not
sased with the exhibions (see Figure 1). Overall, 92% were
either very sased or sased with the forum as indicated in
Figure 2. A small number of respondents indicated that they
were not sased (7%) or very dissased (1%). Before the
forum, the DST set itself a target of 85% for the overall level of
sasfacon by parcipants.
It was possible to recover the waste water in many

described instances for direct potable water reuse, but
emerging contaminants was a real issue, namely personalcare products, parally metabolised pharmaceucals and
endocrine disruptors. Many of these emerging contaminants
Figure 1: Level of sasfacon per parcipant per session

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Not Satisfied
Very dissatisfied
25
20
15
10
5
Sessions with
keynote speakers
Overall satisfaction
with the forum
Session on energy
Session on water
Session on waste
The exhibits
Session on
pharmaceuticals
Session on
aerospace
Session on
post-harvest
Dinner session
Number of responses
30
Figure 2: Overall level of sasfacon per parcipant
Not Satisfied Very dissatisfied

1%
7%
Very Satisfied
52%
Satisfied
40%
3.2 Comments by parcipants and presenters

All the comments that were included in the evaluaon form are
presented below.
1)
Very well organised. Good Speakers. Unfortunately had to

miss dinner, maybe next me!
2)
Thanks for a wonderfully planned and executed event

last week. It was a pleasure to parcipate in such a forum
and I have certainly come away with new friendships and
business partnerships. Was slightly disappointed that the
aerospace sessions leaned heavily towards aeronaucs
and avionics and lacked balance. Would have wanted to see
more parcipaon from our space agency (SANSA) and the
DST Space Porolio on their plans for space in SA. Spoke to
Beeuwen Gerryts about this and I hope that future forums
(including the Aerospace Steering Commiee iniave)
would include this, as well as key industry players like

DSTs Naonal Strategic Asset SunSpace.
3)
Its such a pity that the keynote speakers le immediately

aer their presentaons and did not stay to interact with
the audience and also to hear the points of view of the other
speakers. This is crically important given that they are the
decision-makers relave to the goals of the programme.
I spoke at the session on Pharma Technologies, and was
able to move some implementaon ideas forward, e.g.
the low representaon of clinical sciensts in the Novars
Next Generaon Scienst programme.
4)
It was excellent. Please keep it up. Would you please cater

for parking in the venue secured?
5)
I only rated the sessions I aended; however, the overall

summaries of the ones I missed were also very posive
18
locaon, with low visibility and few exhibitors. Overall it

was not made clear what the economic impact or benet
of the SA Internaonal Research partnerships was to SA,
except for the few gures presented by Dr Van Jaarsveld
relang to joint publicaons. A lot of NRF funding goes
to internaonal bilateral partnership arrangements, yet
this funding never includes actual research funding. From
an academic point of view this makes it very dicult to
achieve real research goals between collaborators, unless
suitable and sucient research funds are found from
other sources, which is generally not easy. Internaonal
bilateral partners also complain about this maer.
7)
Presenters should please provide handouts of their

presentaons. Could we be updated by handouts of the
presentaons not aended?
8)
The forum was good and well-organised. Parcipaon was

highly interacve and lots of learning achieved. However,
I would like to recommend that in future the forum is also
used to showcase local talent by allowing postgraduate
students to give talks on their research work.
9)
We truly commend the DST, in parcular Mr V Lingela,

for their leadership and vision in hosng such a milestone
event in internaonal research. We look forward to
parcipang in the next event.
10) It helped in terms of understanding the latest technology

in the eld.
11) I aended the second day. I found the morning session
to be good, but the aernoon very good. Great open
discussion.
as per the people who were required to make such

summaries on Day 1. It was indeed a well-organised
gathering; I do believe that with me and commitment to
have these gatherings on a regular basis, they could prove
very benecial for our beloved country. If possible, hold
them outside Cape Towns wet and cold winter season.
6)
Commenng on other sessions is not possible as parallel

sessions prevented one from learning as much as possible.
The waste session on the second day was very poorly
aended by delegates, even though this is a crucial topic
for future sustainability. It is a pity that only selected
companies had the opportunity to prole their work
and innovaons. Most internaonal business delegates/
speakers were not really clear about their need or desire
for possible research and innovaon partners in SA, or
the route to potenal opportunies in collaboraon.
It was also dicult to convey innovaon from the SA
academic side to the companies many of the companies
or internaonal delegates seem not to have stayed for
the full period of the forum so were not available for
interacon or group discussions. Few of the internaonal
delegates aended the dinner and even fewer visited the
exhibions. The exhibit hall was not well visited due to its
12) Unfortunately, I couldnt aend the dinner and therefore

cannot express an opinion. Overall, the Internaonal
Research Forum was very insighul and valuable and a
wonderful plaorm to start and engage on many dierent
important research maers.
13) In the aerospace sector the audience was very limited. As
far as I could tell, the event did not seem to have been
well publicised. I did not, of course, know everyone in the
audience, but there seemed to be limited aendance from
any SA space or academic instuon, or Denel or SASOL
or SAA actors. No speaker from the CSIR. I was happy to
aend since it gave me some opportunies to network,
but there could have been a lot more. Also, given the
upcoming AAD and IASSA events, the ming could have
been beer. In the feedback session at the end of day
one, there was lile menon of means, movaons and
opportunies for internaonal cooperaon, which was
surprising given the forum theme. I think you are trying
to do a good thing, but did the sectors really learn much
from each other? Basically a good idea but scope for
improvement.
14) Perhaps you could consider fewer carefully selected
breakaway themes and a one-day forum to ensure that
the crowd is not lost between the two days and breakaway
sessions
19
20
15) Adversing/promoon/announcements for this programme should be circulated earlier. Department of Science and Technology forums are excellent usually this
one seemed well planned yet again. Well done.
16) This was a very valuable session for me to get a beer
understanding of the core business of the DST.
17) I thought the breakaway sessions were good and the forum
was a good networking opportunity. I found the feedback
sessions boring.
18) A good iniave, but as a delegate it was dicult to see
any realisaon of the objecves and desired outcomes of
the event. The organisers must be disappointed at the level
of aendance a symptom of an event where no nancial
commitment is aached (conference fee). I understand
that the DST did not want cost to be a disincenve. We were
pleased to see postharvest as one of the themes, but there
were too few delegates and no internaonal delegates to
really create a meaningful discussion. I do not believe that
the presenters or the parcipants really knew what they
were meant to be doing, so the discussions were fairly
undirected. The designated facilitator was not present and
the ll-in facilitators had no knowledge or understanding
of the theme and were therefore reliant on the speakers.
Two of the four speakers were not present during the
discussion, so one had a fairly unbalanced discussion
based on the percepons of the speakers. The chairperson
or facilitator is the key driver of the process. This person
should know what the speakers are going to be talking
about and should be well-prepared with worked-out
quesons that will lead a discussion. The quesons should
be closely related to achieving the desired outcomes. You
had some very senior people on the delegates list it will
be a challenge geng them back to a similar event unless
the event is well-structured.
19) Please note that I only aended Day 1 of the two-day
forum. I was pleased with the ow of the programme on
that day and the people I met. I am already in contact with
them and discussing further collaboraons. Many thanks
for the opportunity.
20) These are the sessions that I aended. I have managed
to iniate talks about collaboraon with Novars in
Switzerland. This was as a direct result of aending the
research forum.
21) As a speaker, the screen and the LCD were not visible from
the podium. Speakers should have been given a more
detailed brief.
22) This was an excellent opportunity to meet role-players in
similar areas of experse and to inform oneself of R&D
and commercial opportunies. This was a bold step by the
DST, a step into the unknown, but one that turned out to
be a success. We certainly hope the DST will turn this into
an annual event and that the next one will be even beer!
There could have been a few more exhibits or poster
displays there certainly was sucient space available to
the sides of the main open area.
21
Minister Naledi Pandor speak pity it could not happen in

the end. Well done to the organisers, the NRF and the DST
for a wonderful two days!
26) Exhibitors could have been more acve and approachable.
The dinner was not properly organised. The venue was not
suitable. It also felt like we were under a strict budget not
to loosen up and enjoy ourselves aer the long hours.
27) Thank you for hosng this event! I did aend (as indicated
correctly in your aachment), but if I remember correctly,
there was no conrmaon email aer registering on
the website. This might have created the impression for
some people that the registraon might not have been
successful or that it was not taken seriously.
28) Excellent job well done.
23) I suggest the inclusion of rail transport systems and

technology innovaon from which lessons could be learnt
from the globe. The green technology in the current global
dialogue is a discussion at hand which draws serious
aenon to world leaders in climate change. Transport
is therefore necessary in all of these discussions. It would
also add more value to exchange informaon with your
Department with regard to the internaonal agreements
entered into with all the countries listed in your data
base, so that we can scan through them to select areas
of interest. It will add more value if we can be specic in
our interacon and engagement with those countries and
your Department. Last but not least, the funding opon
of research should be transparent. If dicult to open it
up, why not put it as a challenge and form part of agenda
items in your future forums so that those who have
soluons could provide such soluons?
29) Thank you so much for the opportunity to aend this event.
Learnt a lot and look forward to a next opportunity. As a
Management of Technology and Innovaon professional
I had the opportunity to take a look from outside into
the innovaon community, and I thought at least one
improvement may be a generic session on innovaon as
acvity; technological progress and associated trends;
technological literacy; technological governance in terms
of King III, etc. Not incidentally, I happen to have a view on
all of these and would not mind presenng at a next event
if arranged in good me. This oer as an aside, however,
and sll very thankful for the opportunity! Well done!
30) Many thanks for the invitaon to the IRF; it was a wellorganised conference. The discussion sessions were
thought-provoking, while integrang diverse intellectual
ideas and vital soluons to prevailing socio-economic,
technological and industrial problems facing SA. Kindly
accept my hearest congratulaons for a sterling
performance as the coordinator and being a trailblazer
as the iniator of such a remarkable conference. Looking
forward to more IRF conferences in future.
3.3 Recommendaons
Summary of recommendaons by parcipants are presented
below:
a)
24) This was the rst of its kind in our country. However, it
was well-organised and the speakers presentaons were
amazing. I think it would be beer the RSA organised its
own DST forum to encourage the young generaon to
enrol in science. We also want to read about the success
stories of young people through the DST.
25) All of us at the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF)
were impressed with the IRF conference as a whole. It was
professionally organised and everything seemed to run
smoothly. The sessions were interesng and informave
and the coee/tea/snacks and lunch were lovely and wellcatered for. Perhaps there could have been more exhibits?
There is such a posive energy about the Department of
Science and Technology I was looking forward to hear
The Department of Science and Technology should

turn the forum into an annual event. It could prove
very benecial for the country.
b) More parcipaon from the South African Naonal

Space Agency (SANSA) and the DST Space Porolio
on their plans for space in South Africa should be
considered.
c)
Keynote speakers and presenters should stay aer their

presentaons to interact with the parcipants and also
to hear the points of view of the other speakers. This
is crically important given that they are the decisionmakers relave to the goals of the programme.
22
d) In the future the forum could be used to showcase

local talent by allowing postgraduate students to give
presentaons on their research work.
e) Fewer carefully selected breakaway themes and a
one-day forum should be considered, ensuring that
parcipants are not lost between the two days and
breakaway sessions.
f)
Adversing/promoon/announcements for the forum

should be circulated earlier.
g)
The inclusion of rail transport systems and technology

innovaon should be considered, from which lessons
could be learnt. The green technology in the current
global dialogue is a discussion at hand which draws
serious aenon to world leaders in climate change.
The role of transport therefore is necessary in all of
these discussions.
4. Conclusions
The Internaonal Research Forum was a valuable plaorm
for parcipants to start to engage on important research
collaboraons and other research maers. The forum managed
to meet its objecves, as some parcipants are iniang
new partnerships, while other parcipants have managed to
iniate talks about collaboraon with internaonal companies
such as Novars in Switzerland. The forum also created
several networking opportunies for parcipants. Overall,
the parcipants felt that the forum was very insighul and
successful.
h) The Department should make informaon available

about the exisng science and technology internaonal
agreements to promote internaonal partnerships.
i)
The forum could arrange more visible exhibits and

poster presentaons in the future.
j)
Research funding opons should form part of agenda

items in the future forums.
23
5. Contacts
Vuyani Lingela
Chief Director: Internaonal Research
Tel: +27 12 843 6517
Cell: +27 82 600 4722
Fax: +27 86 681 0051
Email: Vuyani.Lingela@dst.gov.za
Mapule Degama
Intern: Internaonal Research
Tel: +27 12 843 6343
Email: Mapule.Degama@dst.gov.za
Postal Address: Private Bag X 894, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Physical Address: Building 53, Meiring Naude Road, CSIR
Campus, Pretoria 0184, South Africa
24
International Research Forum
Economic Impact of the South African International Research Partnerships

International Research Forum, Cape Town, South Africa

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International Research Forum

Economic Impact of the South African International Research Partnerships

b) A deeper understanding of the impact of public-private

Execuve and senior managers of naonal and internaonal

The Department of Science and Technology organised the

To promote informaon exchange on exisng opportunies

The creaon of a plaorm for industry leaders, research

a) Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of

we installed solar-powered water puricaon units and

academic exercise if it did not lead to soluons to problems

Another example of a posive outcome from an

a great achievement and an excellent

Ladies and gentlemen, by parcipang in internaonal

Ladies and gentlemen, these are indeed excing mes for

A project was launched by the Department of Science and

On the subject of Aids, allow me to use this plaorm to

There have also been breakthroughs in the treatment

in the research projects under the Swiss/South African

Please see the video and PowerPoint slides at hp://www.

Adv. Jusce Bekebeke, Director-General: Northern Cape

2.2 Session presenters

b) Mr Ken Okaniwa (Minister, Embassy of Japan), who spoke

e) Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO: Naonal Research

Mr Chose Choeu, President: South African Chamber of

d) Prof. Loyiso Nongxa, Vice-Chancellor: University of the

3) Aerospace and Satellite Applicaon Technologies

e) Prof. Leslie Petrik, Environmental and Nano Sciences,

Blanche Ting, Specialist: Biotechnology and Health,

2.4 Summary of presentaons

Miatech Post Harvest South Africa, then Stuart Symington,

the Post Harvest Innovaon (PHI) fund, funded by the

Stuart Symington looked at the changing world within

Prof. Thokozani Majozi, Department of Chemical

food. On the other hand, the ow of water from source

h) Prof. Laurent Dala, University of the Witwatersrand

Sector; Mr Beeuwen Gerryts, Chief Director: Localisaon

must be dened between industry, research centres and

Prof. Gary Maartens, Head of Pharmacology, University of

perhaps funded in part by prots from manufacturing.

Prof. Xiaohua Xia, Centre of New Energy Systems,

Eskoms exisng memberships and associaons (147

Prof. Leslie Petrik, Group Leader: Environmental and

was required to prevent inappropriate and unsustainable

In the context of the workshop and the problems highlighted

It was not sustainable to maximise extracon and growth at

Prof. Loyiso said that sustainability and climate change

Thulani Dlamini, Execuve Manager: Global Research and

and spent catalysts. Ulies such as steam cooling and

The next speaker was Dr Johan Schoonraad from Enviroserv,

which were risk versus the value chain in order to determine

were present in very low concentraons parts per billion

The nal speaker was Mr Abrie Wessels, who is the regional

To summarise, it is necessary to adopt a cauonary principle

It was possible to recover the waste water in many

Figure 1: Level of sasfacon per parcipant per session

Figure 2: Overall level of sasfacon per parcipant

Not Satisfied Very dissatisfied

3.2 Comments by parcipants and presenters

Very well organised. Good Speakers. Unfortunately had to

Thanks for a wonderfully planned and executed event

would include this, as well as key industry players like

Its such a pity that the keynote speakers le immediately

It was excellent. Please keep it up. Would you please cater

I only rated the sessions I aended; however, the overall