P J JANSEN VAN NIEUWENHUIZEN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL UNIVERSITY
S 120 100 20 100 80 80 60 60 40
2011 2010 2009 2008
40 20
2011 2010 2009 2008
tating the problem
The innovation gap (or innovation chasm) could be defined as ‘the gap between knowledge generators and the market’. This gap is one of the main causes why South Africa spends less than 1% of its National GDP on research and development. In addition, data from the Global Innovation Index and the Global Competitiveness Index show that the gap between innovation input and the resultant practical knowledge output has doubled since 2008 in South Africa.
In 2008, South Africa was 38th in the world
regarding the provision of innovation input, whilst at the end of 2011 the country was place 59th
in place in 2011. Scientific output as
in the world. As far as general output is concerned, the country worsened from 50th 2008 to 83rd
related to innovation has been on a constant worsening curve (from 58th
BRIDGING THE CHASM? ) in the same
to 79th
time. Of more concern is the fact that South Africa’s human capital worsened from the 34th place in 2008 to the 92nd
innovation in South Africa seems to be in a general state of decline (see Figure 1)1
place in 2011. Indeed, .
In the African context, South Africa is slowly losing ground in favour of other, more innovative, economies on the continent. Figure 2: The State of Innovation in Africa. The following are of concern to the South African innovation landscape (see also figure 3):
1) South Africa has the most innovation input on the Continent but its outputs are not on par to economies such as Ghana, Mauritius, and Tunisia;
2) South Africa’s human capital has shown
20
0 Overall Innovation Index 0 Overall Innovation Input Innovation Input
Innovation Output
Innovation Output
Human Capital Scientific Output
In the African context, South Africa is slowly losing ground in favour of other more innovative economies on the continent Innovation Index
Figure 1: The State of Innovation in South Africa Human Capital Scientific Output
92 Management Today | September 2012 Business Sophistication
Higher Education and Training
Business Sophistication
Higher Education and Training
The Innovation Journal
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