The importance of human resources development in ensuring that the aims of the New Partnership for Africa`s Development (Nepad) are met came under the spotlight at the second day of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) conference in Midrand yesterday.
The conference, looking at the role of science and technology bodies in underpinning the success of Nepad, heard that skills development is an essential component of this success, and need not wait for other infrastructure to be put into place before it can begin.
Science and Technology minister Ben Ngubane, making a guest appearance at the conference, pointed out that countries such as India first addressed human resources issues before developing science and technology research capabilities.
"The infrastructure must start with the people who will make it work," said Ngubane. "In SA, a research and development shortcoming is that it is not linked to the training of students. Africa has great potential, but we cannot afford to have our science and technology students learn in isolation from the marketplace."
Eugene Lottering, executive director of the Innovation Fund of the National Research Foundation, told delegates that key initiatives needed to get under way to develop individual competencies and create a robust "knowledge culture" in SA.
Key areas where human resources development needed to take place, said Lottering, were agriculture, biodiversity and mining. He added that the areas of IT and biotechnology could not be allowed to lag behind.
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