The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is South Africa's central and premier scientific research and development organisation. It was established by an act of parliament in 1945 and is situated on its own campus in the city ofPretoria. It is the largest research and development organisation in Africa and accounts for about 10% of the entire African R&D budget. It has a staff of approximately 3,000 technical and scientific researchers, often working in multi-disciplinary teams.
CSIR contract research and development
Overview
The CSIR contract R&D portfolio aims to enable clear understanding of national imperatives and the needs of industry to optimise the impact of the CSIR's R&D outputs. It leverages public, private and international partnerships in support of cutting-edge science, engineering and technology.The organisation has clients in both the private sector, as well as in the public sector. The organisation also deals with public enterprises and institutions, national safety and security establishments, and development structures. Regionally and abroad, the CSIR fosters partnerships and a network of clients and partner organisations as part of a global sphere of influence on matters of technology. The CSIR liaises closely with tertiary education institutions. With a strong emphasis on relevant and developmental work, it also has strong roots in various communities, and collaborates with a wide range of donors and funding agencies. The CSIR aims to contribute to the national programme of development, perform relevant knowledge generating research and transferring technology and skilled human capital, and strengthen the science and technology base. The Frascati Manual defines R&D as creative work undertaken systematically to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications. At the CSIR, the research, development and innovation chain encompasses, what we term, types A, B and C research:
Type A refers to directed basic or applied research that explores the underlying nature of a system
Type B talks to experimental development that typically results in a new prototype, which captures new knowledge into a product, service or policy
Type C is technology transfer, the first step of knowledge application.
The CSIR operates with two kinds of R&D income, each with its own purpose. The Parliamentary Grant is used for strengthening the CSIR's S&T base - knowledge, people and infrastructure. Secondly, Contract R&D income is derived from performing contract research for clients in the public and private sectors, locally and abroad, on specific programmes, initiatives and projects. All R&D work contributes to the National System of Innovation.
• Built Environment • Biosciences • Defence, Peace, Safety and Security • Information and Communications • Laser Technology • Materials Science and Manufacturing • Natural Resources and the Environment • Mining Innovation • Modelling and Digital Science • Mobile Intelligence Autonomous Systems • Nanotechnology • Synthetic Biology • Remote Sensing
In July 2016 the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism published an article that alleges that South Africa's Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor and Director-General Phil Mjwara were attempting to put undue pressure the CSIR, at the behest of ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, to favour the Chinese multinational Huawei Technologies in the purchase of a new R116-million super computer for the institute. This followed the publication of the Council's long time CEO, Sibusiso Sibisi's, open letter of resignation stating that irregularities and political pressure on the awarding of contracts to suppliers was of great concern. In a well-known case of biopiracy, bioprospectors from South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research realized that Hoodia was marketable and patented its use as an appetite suppressant without recognizing the San people's traditional claims to the knowledge of the plant and its uses. The patent was later sold to Unilever, which marketed hoodia products as diet supplements. In 2003, the South African San Council made an agreement with CSIR in which they would receive from 6 to 8% of the revenue from the sale of Ho. gordonii products, money which would be deposited in a fund to purchase land for the San people who had been dispossessed from their lands by migrating tribes from Northern Africa.
