1. Isaac Maredi Limpopo ICT Youth Conference - Polokwane
26 – 27 March 2015
Isaac Maredi 1

2. Presentation Outline Context Methodology
Vision and Strategy: The ICT RDI Roadmap
Structured Engagement and the Synergy Opportunity

3. Context

4. Under-Investment on ICT RDI
South Africa spends close to 10% of GDP on ICT goods and services, of which most are imported
R&D intensity of South Africa has stabilised at around 0.92% of GDP over the past few years, but is still well below the global norm of 2%
Government, universities and science councils have a keen interest in ICT RDI, but funding and current spending on ICT R&D is limited compared to other fields
To harness the socio-economic benefits of ICT and to be a player in ICT, we must significantly increase investment in ICT RDI

5. Key investment levers for creating impact via ICT
R&D enabling Access
R&D enabling Services
Readiness
Accessible ICT infrastructure
Use
Portfolio of e-services
Impact
Outcomes
Capacity
Critical mass of ICT skills
Advanced Skills Development in
DST Role: R&D relating to enablement of Readiness and Use Advanced Skills Development to underpin technological leadership to benefit from Digital Convergence
Source: ITU – Measuring the Information Society

6. Requirement: Grow the Human Capital Pipeline
Graduations in ICT-related fields have decreased, in comparison to other fields
There is a scarcity of instruction and supervision staff in ICT fields
There is a high dropout rate after bachelor’s degrees. This causes a subsequent domino-effect in the pipeline for advanced degrees
Despite similar enrolments at Bachelor level, Biosciences PhD graduations are 9.3 times those of ICT
Enrolments and Graduations. ICT vs Bioscience 20 40 60 80
100
120
140
160
180
200
PhD Graduates
Strengthening and growing the pipeline requires critical mass. Supply-side interventions are required

7. in

8. Roadmap Development methodology

9. ICT RDI Roadmap Development
ICT RDI Roadmap Two-fold Strategic Intent
Enable increased public and private investment in ICT RDI
Provide a framework to plan and coordinate technology development, in order to enable efficient and sophisticated investment decision-making
ICT RDI Roadmap Development
Background
DST initiated the development of a 10-year ICT Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Vision and Implementation Roadmap, intended to:
Take the national ICT RDI Strategy to the next level, in a way that strengthens the local ICT ecosystem
Enable DST to develop and implement a set of specific interventions required to guide and direct ICT RDI activity in South Africa
Position South Africa more competitively in the global market, taking cognisance of and addressing the challenges facing a developing economy
DST and CSIR Meraka Institute partnered to develop this Roadmap for South Africa 9

10. Developing the ICT RDI Roadmap – Ecosystem Triangulation Methodology10

11. Broad Participation in ICT RDI Roadmap Development
127
106 44 40 17 2 1 11

12. Broad Participation in ICT RDI Roadmap Development12

13. Identification of Drivers of Need and Demand for ICT – Global and for South Africa
Analysis of Hot Topics (Desktop Research)
Trends Prioritisation (Workshop)
The Global ICT Ecosystem
Trends
Landscape
Market Opportunities 13

14. Global ICT Ecosystem
Data source: Thomson Reuters Web of Science, Articles , Proceedings and Meeting Abstracts. N:about Note: Data not cleaned – work in progress

15. Identified, substantiated and evaluated 27 Market Opportunities
Attractiveness
Need Job, customer, outcome, outcome value, alternative solutions
Market Opportunity Commercial potential, competitive situation, window of opportunity
Inhibitors Market, policy, regulation, RDI infrastructure, investment
Fit
SA Strategic Fit SA relevance, fit with National priorities, alignment with ICT Strategy
Synergies with current technology, production, marketing and investment capacities
Realisation Technology status, fit with current and future capability, partnerships
Identified, substantiated and evaluated 27 Market Opportunities
Attractiveness
Fit
Low
High
Good
Poor

16. Institutional Capacity : More than 140 capability areas
Strength and Maturity

17. Vision and Strategy: the ICT RDI Roapmap

18. Vision: Create Digital Advantage for South Africa – from individual to society
Our vision is for a South Africa that has overcome the Digital Divide; by leveraging advances in ICT to address socio-economic challenges it has created Digital Advantage
Through sound investment and effective coordination of ICT R&D and innovation activities, we have established these conditions:
Advanced human capital. Strong and institutional capacity
Tight engagement with research communities; fast uptake and promotion of research results, indigenous innovation
A healthy innovation ecosystem focused on achieving impact in society
Advanced ICT infrastructure connecting South Africa
Local content and applications that address local needs and also create export opportunities
Principal focus: satisfaction of National Needs (deliver Impact against 12 Outcomes)
Focused export activity as technologies arrive on-market (ie AFIS)
Test technologies with local customers before broader export

19. Digital Advantage for South Africa A 6-point, Cluster-driven Strategy
Research and innovate in the future means of providing access
Enable individuals to empower themselves:
economically, socially and democratically
Use ICT to optimise the management of resources, assets and environments
Leverage the ICT component of Grand Science projects to create new industrial and service capability
Strategy
Build ICT RDI capabilities focussed on local needs, with export potential in longer term
Catalyse government and industry investment:
Provide direction through prioritised market opportunities that are driven by local needs
Catalytic MTEF funding to build ICT RDI capability
Systematic harmonisation with line departments ie DoC, DoH and adjacent programmes ie Space
Strategically involve Multi-National Corporations
Prepare for export opportunity when global economy recovers in 3 to 5 years
Monitoring and Evaluation of investment through a portfolio management approach (Establish Office of Digital Advantage 2023)
Facilitate growth and performance in existing and emerging sectors
Enable improved, lower cost, more convenient access and consumption of physical and digital services, both private and public

20. The Roadmap frames and guides ICT RDI activity – focus is on Impact
Outcomes
Improved quality of basic education
A long and healthy life for all South Africans
All people in South Africa are and feel safe
Decent employment through inclusive economic growth
A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path
An efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network
Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all
Sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life
A responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system
Environmental assets and natural resources that are well protected and continually enhanced
Create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa and World
An efficient, effective and development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship
Technology
Expertise People
Research
Outputs
Government
Research Institutions
Service Delivery
Policy and Strategy
Services
People
Products
and services
Higher Education
Value Chain
Strategy
Research impact pathways are used as a model to show how research flows from research and higher education institutions, through its outputs such as people, technology and expertise to make impact in society and the economy. Impact is achieved either by better strategy and policy or by directly impacting on service delivery or by improving services to citizens. The ICT RDI Roadmap has identified 27 market opportunities that are grouped in six clusters as identified below.
Broadband Infrastructure and Services
Research and innovate in the future means of providing access
Development
Enable individuals to empower themselves: democratically, socially and economically
Sustainability and the Environment
Use ICT to optimise management of resources, assets and environments
Grand Science
Leverage the ICT component of Grand Science projects to create new industrial and service capability
Industry Applications
Facilitate growth and performance in existing and emerging sectors
The Service Economy
Enable improved, lower cost and more convenient access and consumption of physical and digital services, both private and public
The ICT RDI Roadmap coordinates interaction with various role players in order to achieve impact on the identified outcomes.
People
Industry

21. ICT RDI for Digital Advantage 2023: Strategy
Context
Short to medium term
Export potential limited due to global economic situation
Consumer spend limited
Likely economic trajectory – fixed investment
3-5 years from now
Global economic recovery
Emerging Market growth
Potential
Government spending shifts to infrastructure investment and un- spent infrastructure budget
Transnet R300 billion investment as energy point
MTSF priorities present opportunities to service domestic demand
Private sector reserves
Strategy
Build ICT RDI capabilities focussed on local needs, with export potential in longer term
Catalyse government and industry investment:
Provide direction through prioritised market opportunities that are driven by local needs
Catalytic MTEF funding to build ICT RDI capability
Systematic harmonisation with line departments ie DoC, DoH and adjacent programmes ie Space
Strategically involve MNCs
Prepare for export opportunity when global economy recovers in 3 to 5 years
Monitoring and Evaluation of investment through a portfolio management approach (Office of the Digital Advantage 2023)
Emerging market growth throughout and beyond medium term
Can we unlock private sector reserves and make more money for them rather than leaving the money in the bank?
Catalytic funding (Initially asked for 10% of R9Bn and after further prioritisation requested 3% of R9Bn)

22. Engagement and the Synergy Opportunity

23. 10-Year Strategy: Build local ICT RDI capabilities and ramp-up for future export
Readiness
Delivering broadband to 80% of South African citizens by 2020 to accelerate the attainment of Millennium Development Goals [SA Communications minister, Dina Pule]
Capacity
Knowledge Generation
Publications 1700
Patent applications 120
Registered Patents 42
Human Capital Development
Masters 675
PhDs 450
Post Docs 225
Technology Development
Prototypes 470
Technology Packages 124
Products and services to market 40
Research Chairs 30
Use
m-health
Astronomy (Data Science & Analytics)
Smart & Green Infrastructure
Geo-spatial applications
ICT for Development
Broadband & Future Wireless Technologies
DoH - NHI
SKA
Knowledge Economy
Global Change
Poverty Alleviation
Green Economy

24.
Tel:
Thank You