Pandor inaugurates TIA board
2009-07-06 22:11
Cape Town - Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor inaugurated the newly established Board of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) on Monday.
Approved by Cabinet in April 2009, the 10-member board brought a wealth of experience to their role in accomplishing the TIA's mandate, the ministry said in a statement.
The board is chaired by Dr Ramphele Mamphele, the former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town and former MD of the World Bank.
The ultimate goal of the agency is to "stimulate and intensify" technological innovation to improve economic growth and the quality of life of all South Africans.
Knowledge-based industries
The board will use South Africa's science and technology base to develop new industries, create sustainable jobs and help diversify the economy away from commodity exports towards knowledge-based industries.
To meet its mandate, the agency will provide and mobilise financial and non-financial support across broad technology areas in various sectors of the economy.
Pandor said the real challenge for the board would be the fact that few South Africans had a full appreciation of the opportunities offered by innovation.
"The agency will have to alert South Africa to the possibilities and sanction popular support for creativity and inventiveness.
"Public and government appreciation of innovation will require the agency to give attention to providing early success."
The board would have to rigorously scrutinise projects to determine whether they were viable and could be commercialised.
Other board members include Cheryl Carolus, chair of Peotona; Dr Steven Cornelius, executive member of the SA Veterinary Council; Professor Susan Harrison, current chair of the board of the Cape Biotechnology Trust; Alan Lax, an expert in the legal and justice system; Dr Nhlanhla Msomi, President of the South African Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Dr Patrick Ngwenya, director of CKS investments Unisys Africa and former chair of the Nuclear Energy Corporation; Ross Norton, chair of SA Bioproducts; Craig Venter, CEO at Altech, and Helen Brow, senior project manager at the Manufacturing Engineering & Related Sector Education Training Authority.
- SAPA