DR NEVILLE R COMINS DOES OUR NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INNOVATION WORK?
1. Background to the South African National System of Innovation (SANSI)
I
n 1990, when the years of isolation of South Africa started to recede, dramatic challenges faced the country in changing from an inward-looking, import- replacement and sanctions-avoiding economy to a new emerging dynamic and globalised situation. Many of the significant industries relating to defence, nuclear, etcetera, became redundant in their existing scale and form, but these supported a large proportion of the scientific and engineering professions, especially in high technology fields.
With considerable foresight, a new relevant
approach to reposition those crucial human resources led to a reappraisal of science and technology’s (S&T) role as outlined in the White Paper entitled: Preparing for the 21st-century1
. The wisdom expressed in this
document has been largely forgotten, but in its core elements it identified and stressed that in the emerging world economy, science and technology simply formed an important input into an overarching concept; that being an ‘innovation system’ which can help transform and develop a stronger knowledge- based component of the economy. The White Paper then expands to qualify ‘innovation’ and a ‘National System of Innovation’ as core components contributing the then Growth and Development Strategy. The further focus, however, considers the S&T policy issues to be ‘consistent with a vision of innovation in South Africa’.
In Chapter 3, the White Paper specifically
presents a clear understanding of innovation as differing from creativity and invention, with innovation requiring that ‘ideas must be put to use’ or ‘exploit them into products and services that other people will buy or use’. As one
18 Management Today | September 2012
reads further, however, the traditional elements of a linear innovation model come through, when R&D essentially drives the process, that is, innovation policy is but an extension of a S&T policy framework. Such a model grew from experiences in developed countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in particular in the 1960s and 1970s. Subsequent understanding of innovation systems, particularly in developing countries, has emphasised the need to challenge this model.5
However, in South Africa, it is just this model which still pervades our attempts to create a viable National System of Innovation, and until today has driven the subsequent policy developments.
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY SOURCES Research Development Production
Local Research
Basic Strategic Application Design Research
Development
Production Sales Manufacturing
Figure 1: The Innovation Chasm Reference SA’s National R&D Strategy 2002
Innovation Chasm
Local Industry & Industrial Products
The Innovation Journal
Technology Transfer
$
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