Perhaps we need to look closely at the human resource training we are stimulating to see what serves the real innovation system requirements.
In order for South Africa to build a National System of Innovation which is capable of achieving the vision originally set, and indeed start to reflect the economic growth and job creation, it is vital that the business world becomes far more involved. Analysis of the various policy and strategy documents relating to innovation from Government at all levels does not reflect this position adequately. The whole innovation discussion
centres on it
being the result of a successful science and technology policy, which most international experiences confirm is a necessary contributor but not sufficient positioning. Even in the National Planning Commission’s National Development Plan6, innovation is directly correlated to research outputs. It is publications, public sector R&D investment and graduates with higher degrees that are identified as the critical success factors, again following the established approach. Hence the original paradigms continue, with only a passing remark on involvement of business.
If one views the equally important field of ‘social innovation’, again the involvement of society in finding the solutions to our many problems lies not in a push approach or top-down decision-making, but with the involvement of a range of sectors and the citizens themselves, all able to contribute their skills and knowledge to find new solutions. As with the economy, the key to obtaining successful social innovation must lie with the communities themselves in the final analysis.
2.3 Who are the actors in our National System of Innovation?
While DST should be congratulated on their on-going efforts to drive innovation in South
22 Management Today | September 2012
Africa, one needs to question whether this is
adequate. From a policy
perspective,
most important is the involvement of other government departments. The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for creating the environment for business, which we have seen is the fundamental location of innovation activity as it affects the economy. However, at a policy level, how do they connect to the DST drivers and are there strong and motivating shared goals? Likewise, in an information- driven world, the on-going debates on the cost of bandwidth as a business and investment deterrent is the area of responsibility of the Department of Communications; one can go on with education, health, public works, social services, etc. Innovation is not Science and Technology and we will need to expand our view of the process if our National System of Innovation is indeed the way to support a growing economy and finding solutions to our many social challenges.
If one was to look at the real grand challenges of South Africa, and not with the perspective of science and technology, would one support the decisions in the ‘Ten-year Innovation Plan’? For the NSI to really be the driver of positive change and contribution, it needs to represent the national vision, and bring all the actors, both public and private sector and society together, and to put all their combined efforts behind those challenges that can change our position. It is a time for co- creation, collaboration and common purpose to achieve the progress required.
Over the past few years, new approaches to innovation have started to emerge internationally, mostly driven by industry, e.g. open innovation, where problems and issues are strategically placed on platforms where hundreds of thousands of
‘solvers’
can propose solutions. Eskom is the first major company in South Africa to run a pilot
The Innovation Journal
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