President Ramaphosa to address Presidential Plenary on Science, Technology and Innovation

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the inaugural Presidential Plenary on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). The plenary will be held at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, next Tuesday. “The STI Plenary will bring together leaders in government, industry, academia and civil society to discuss progress made in the National System of Innovation (NSI) and challenges in this sector, and will explore ways for STI and skills development to impact positively on the South African economy,” the Presidency said in a statement. In November 2022, Cabinet adopted the STI Decadal Plan to guide the first 10 years of implementing the 2019 White Paper on STI. “The Decadal Plan seeks to respond to Phase II (2020-2024) and III (2025-2030) of attaining the National Development Plan (NDP) targets for STI, which propose that innovation is earmarked to improve the productivity and competitiveness of key sectors of the South African economy and contribute to higher GDP growth rates overall.” The White Paper introduced the concept of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on STI and a Presidential STI Plenary as instruments to enhance STI policy coherence, as well as programme and budget coordination in the South African national system of innovation. “In this regard, the plenary will allow all role players to reflect collaboratively on progress with STI initiatives, and jointly commit resources for recommended STI initiatives,” the Presidency said. An Inter-Ministerial Committee on STI, established in March 2021, is led by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation and comprises Ministers of STI-intensive government departments. The President will also visit an exhibition of locally produced, market-ready innovations in areas such as space science, health and energy. – SAnews.gov.za