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

TechnoScene (Pty) Ltd was assigned by the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) to conduct A Study to Determine the Competitive Aspects of the Required Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the National System for Innovation (NSI). This document reports on this study. According to the White Paper on Science and Technology and the NACI Act, a national system of innovation can be thought of as a set of functioning institutions, organisations and policies which interact constructively in the pursuit of a common set of social and economic goals and
objectives through innovation. A prime objective of the NSI is to enhance the rate and quality of technology transfer and diffusion from the science, engineering and technology (SET) sector by the provision of quality human resources, effective hard technology transfer mechanisms and the creation of more effective and efficient users of technology in the business and governmental sectors.

The vision of NACI states that: "NACI, as the key source of science and technology advice to government, will successfully promote S&T [Science and Technology] as the primary driver behind South Africa’s economic and social development". NACI is appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology to advise him (and through him Cabinet) on the role and contribution of innovation (including science and technology) in promoting and achieving national objectives, namely to:
1. improve and sustain the quality of life of all South Africans
2. develop human resources for science and technology
3. build the economy
4. strengthen the country's competitiveness in the international sphere 

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 scenario of the status of that equipment in 1998. The equipment infrastructure for research was characterised as old, not enabling South African researchers to compete effectively internationally. The recommendation from the audit called for a major injection of funds to replace, renew and introduce state of the art equipment, which was to improve the quality of both the research outputs and research skills. Yet, the audit recommendations were based more on research environments and replacement of the research equipment base in the highly industrialised nations of the north, and not on a firm strategy to plan for the future of research.
support through capital infrastructure based on national priorities.