SA cannot ignore the major technology developments taking place globally in ICT and biotechnology, says science and technology minister Mosibudi Mangena.
However, speaking at the handover ceremony of the Innovation Fund (IF) 2005/6 annual report, in Cape Town last night, Mangena said SA did not have a strong research and development capacity in ICT in the public sector.
He pointed out that although ICT was pervasive in SA, 98% of spending was on imported technology.
"The innovation potential is high, but the results have been patchy. It is, therefore, necessary to invest in a number of ICT domains that have unique characteristics that would favour local development."
Mangena said as one of the cornerstones of the national research and development strategy, innovation was indisputably central to economic prosperity.
"The capacity to innovate in our society is directly proportional to the capacity to defeat poverty. Deliberate actions to bring more people into our system of innovation will not be wasted," he said.
Although the publication of the annual report ushered in a time to review what was achieved in the past year, Mangena emphasised it also provided an opportunity to review the innovation priorities of the country.
Saying science and technology should be at the forefront of poverty reduction, Mangena congratulated the IF's executive officer Eugene Lottering and his team on the achievements of the past year.
"Tangible results are important. To break the cycle of poverty, people need to see demonstrable changes in their quality of life," he said.
There is no time for compromise, warned Mangena. He said SA needed to focus on excellence and creativity, as well as demand the best from students, researchers and innovators.
Mangena said although the strange marriage of successes and failures was not going to change, it was possible to change the rate and intensity of innovation arising from research.
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