South African Science and Technology Indicators 2010

The NACI Indicators Reference Group (IRG) encompasses subject experts actively working in the field of monitoring and evaluation pertaining to the performance of the National System of Innovation (NSI). The work of the IRG is supported by members of the NACI Secretariat, who prepared this report for the NACI Council, and to whom the members want to express their sincere appreciation.

Sound measurement of innovation is crucial in policy formulation and implementation, assisting policy makers on several points: evaluating the efficiency of policies, in addition to monitoring spending in this regard, assessing the contribution of innovation to achieving social and economic objectives. Reporting on the measurement of innovation serves to legitimise public intervention by enhancing public accountability.

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 by presenting statistical data relating to trends and performance. This report should be seen as a collection of the core innovation indicators and includes extensive data obtained from a wide spectrum of data analysts and performance evaluators.