Research Reports

Status of Government’s Poverty Reduction – Focus on DST’s Social Impact Programme

The objectives of the study were to:

• Identify existing government poverty alleviation programmes and policies with a special focus on the DST’s STSI...

NACI Indicators Reference Group Launches “South African Science & Technology Indicators 2009”

The South African Science and Technology Indicators 2009, an update of the 2008 report, provides an overall picture of South Africa’s ...

A Review of International Innovation Adaptable to South African Context

The Innovation for Development (INNO4DEV) sub-committee of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) commissioned an in-house study on international ...

Multi-Stakeholder Organisations Involved in South African Social Innovation System

South Africa is remarkably rich with innovative communities and multi-stakeholder organisations involved in innovative social development programmes and initiatives ...

Women in Science Annual Review

The main findings of the research indicate that women in South Africa have made great strides in the past decade in terms of their participation as Postgraduate students and professionals working in SET. Although ...

Changing perceptions of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology

This document aims to provide an overview of on how to achieve equality between women and men in Science, Engineering and Technology by integrating a gender equity ...

Facing the Facts: Women’s Participation in Science Engineering and Technology

The study not only addresses not only the participation of women in Science Engineering and Technology but also the extent to which women benefits from SET. The study not ...

Achievements of the Second NACI Council: 2004 to 2009

The effects of the Second NACI Council initiatives undertaken during the period 1 April 2004 to 28 February 2009 are summarised under the following headings: conceptual considerations ...

Science and Technology Interaction in Africa

This report sets out to investigate the performance, processes and dynamics associated with South Africa’s research, science and technology collaboration on the African continent. The resultant analysis leads to a set of recommendations as to how the South African government could effectively improve its interaction with its African counterparts in S&T initiatives. The notion of collaborations including the development of ...

Creating the Future South African National System of Innovation: Gender, Race and SET Sector Issues

The objective of this document is to provide a framework for collaborative action on gender, race and the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) sector within which institutions in the South African National System of Innovation (NSI) may implement effective measures for ensuring that ...

An Exploration of the Innovation – Competitiveness Relationship a Descriptive Study of South African Businesses for the National Advisory Council on Innovation

This report offers a concise overview of research done in the first phase and consists of the following sections: Conceptual and operational context ...

Skills sustainability and government planning of flagship projects

The central focus of the proposed research was to investigate, in case-study format, the extent to which skills development was considered and planned for in the construction and development phases of key flagship and ...

Quantitative Assessment of South Africa's Inventive Outputs: International Patent Analysis

This document has been prepared on the request of NACI in order to identify the inventive activity of South Africans as it is manifested in the form of patents ...

Development of a Profile of Best Practices in the NSI

This document reports the result of an effort to identify international best practice related to the management of National Systems of Innovation and develop relevant recommendations for South Africa. The report is divided into three main chapters. Chapter one “Best Practice in Governance” ...

The South African National System of Innovation: Structures, Policies and Performance

This background report has been prepared as an input to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Country Review of the South African National ...

Creating the future - Gender, Race and SET Sector Policies

The goal of this document is to provide a gender, race and SET sector policy framework within which institutions in the SA national system of innovation (NSI) can implement effective measures for ensuring that South African women participate fully in, and benefit from, innovative SET research...

The South African National System of Innovation: Structures, Policies and Performance

This background report has been prepared as an input to the OECD Country Review of the South African National System of Innovation (NSI). The report was drafted ...

A Study on The Required Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the NSI

Events leading to this investigation of the “Competitive Aspects of the Required Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the National System for Innovation” commenced with the National Research and Technology Audit, which produced a database of research equipment and generated...

A Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to Benchmark the perfomance of Women in the NSI

This study was commissioned by the Science, Engineering and Technology for Women (SET4W) Reference Group1, a sub-committee of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) in the Ministry of Science. The ...

Consultations towards the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology: Part 2 Email Discussion

The report provides a detailed account of the methodology utilised for this project, as well as the findings that emerged from the study. We also include in this report a brief discussion ...

The Design and Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to Benchmark the Performance of Women in the South African NSI

The overall project has been conceptualised in terms of three phases in the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework of gender impact of the NSI.

Women in SET: Exploring the Facts

In 2004 the National Council for Innovation (NACI) published a study entitled Facing the Facts: Women’s Participation in Science, Engineering and Technology. The study found that in most Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) disciplines, and in the sector as a whole, women are significantly under-represented. In addition, only 6.4% of a ...

A Profile of Postgraduate Higher Education and the Academic Research community in South Africa

The report provides a profile of the postgraduate sub-sector of HE and the HE research community in South Africa with a view to informing policy- makers and stakeholders of key trends and issues ...

South African Innovation: Key Facts and Figures

This publication intended to contribute the latest available reliable and valid information to the crucial debate about the value placed in our economy on knowledge and its appropriate use through innovation by the public and private sectors. It is a potentially valuable resource to enrich discussion and to assist South Africa to better make choices in the future. Innovation, and organisational changes associated with it, is a key determinant ...

Strategy Development Phase for the Strategic Assessment of the Impact of the Utilisation of Research Findings in South Africa for the National Advisory Council on Innovation -Engagement Report

A strategy for research utilisation was developed from extensive analysis of published information and synthesis of ...

South African Science and Technology Key Facts and Figures 2002

The publication of South African Science and Technology: Key Facts and Figures 2002 is part of a wider communication process for providing stakeholders with the information and data needed to enable all of us, working together, to develop effective responses that will serve our nation in years to come. We cannot fully predict our future requirements, but it is important ...

Investigation into the Implementation of SETI Reviews Recommendation for the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI)

The National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) intiated the “investigation into the implementation of the Science, Engineering and Technology Institutions ...

A Study on Mobility of Research and Development Workers

This report consists of six chapters, a framework which provides an understanding of the mobility of R&D workers through an overview of the theoretical issues involved and provides an overview of South African policies and legislation concerning mobility. This introductory chapter briefly introduces the general framework within which the study ...

Reviewing of the 2001/2002 Key Performance Indicator Reports and Annual Reports of Public, Science, Engineering and Technology Institutions

The Study does show that a culture of measurement has become apparent among the Science Councils. Furthermore the measures, which are being reported ...

National Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy for South Africa - Volume 1

It presents the AMTS for South Africa. The process for developing the strategy was one of extensive consultation within the private, public and education sectors, and care was taken to ensure strategic fit with other ...

Utilisation of Research Findings: Extent, Dynamics and Strategies

The document reports on a comprehensive study on the extent and nature of the utilisation of South African research findings, suggests strategic steps to improve such utilisation. This report will serve as a basis for the recommendation of policy guidelines to government, research funding agencies and institutions in the national system of ...

World Class transport in service of the nation: The case of Gautrain

Massive infrastructural projects already undertaken provide insight into the changing and dynamic nature of the changing priorities of government over time. While the ...

NACI Booklet Understanding Mainstreaming Gender and Disability

This booklet provides hands-on information about mainstreaming gender and disability as a strategy to ensure that it occurs throughout the entire science, technology and innovation ...

A Strategy for Improving the Utilisation of Research in South Africa

These findings were supported by the case studies as well as interviews that were conducted by the expert panel. The strategic recommendations made by the panel address these issues by taking a systematic look at the dynamics of the innovation system ...

Current debates on Innovation

It is now well established in the literature that innovation constitutes a key process underpinning economic change within capitalism. This broad consensus does not however imply that there is a single perspective that informs policy thinking on innovation. Rather what has been evidenced over...

2010 South African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators

The South African Science and Technology Indicators 2010, an update of the 2009 report, provides an overall picture of South Africa's national system of innovation ...