Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Mosibudi Mangena, at the Launch of the Cooperation Framework on Innovation Systems Between Finland and South Africa (Cofisa) at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria on 28 September 2006

Ambassador Heikki Tuunanen

Excellencies

Colleagues and Friends

The formal launch of the Cooperation Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland and South Africa (COFISA) by my dear friend Ambassador Heikki Tuunanen, and myself is a truly landmark event, which reflects not only a strategic impetus in the South Africa-Finland science and technology partnership, but also a qualitative deepening of the innovation policy discourse within South Africa.

This initiative has its roots in many reciprocal visits and exchanges that have been taking place between officials and experts in the two countries since the year 2000. Perhaps more specifically, the decision to establish a cooperation framework on innovation between Finland and South Africa was confirmed during the visit of the Finnish Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Ms Paula Lehtomäki, to South Africa in 2004. During our meeting at the time, the main focus of our discussion centred on the outstanding achievements of the Finnish national system of innovation, and the potential opportunities for South Africa to leverage different elements of this accumulated experience. We then agreed that a key thrust of South Africa-Finland Science and Technology Cooperation should be in the area of innovation systems, which would be supported by Finland’s development cooperation instruments, amongst others.

Since that crucial exchange, relevant officials within my department, our National Treasury and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland have invested many hours of dedicated and hard work in developing the framework of the COFISA instrument. Today as we celebrate the launch of this programme, we should also applaud all those who have contributed to making this important joint initiative possible.

The launch of the COFISA also coincides with the first meeting in South Africa of officials and experts who will design and map the activities of the project for the next 30 months. Participating in this meeting will be a team from Finland representing all the leading actors in the Finnish system of innovation. Many of them have kindly joined us here tonight. Indeed we all look forward to receiving the insights and expert advice on the COFISA at this preliminary stage of the project.

Colleagues and friends, may I now very briefly allude to some of our expectations in relation to the COFISA. We do hope that the cooperation will have real impact on certain developments associated with the South African National System of Innovation.

Since the establishment of the democratic government in 1994, significant progress has been achieved in developing and implementing innovation policies in South Africa. The development of policy instruments such as the White Paper on Science and Technology and the National Research and Development Strategy, the ongoing work of the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and South Africa’s participation in international innovation policy forums such as the OECD, have all contributed to strengthening the national innovation policy discourse. Important initiatives, such as a national technology foresight exercise, sectoral technology roadmapping exercises, and a comprehensive national research and development survey, including the OECD-endorsed publication on indicators, are among our chief accomplishments.

However, there is substantial scope for further improvement of our national system of innovation, and a number of key challenges still need to be addressed. These include, in particular:

Ensuring the provision of appropriate science and technology human capital;

Improving the coordination of the governance framework within the National System of Innovation; and

Bridging the innovation chasm or translating our research outputs into effective new products and services.

Other important domains where the contribution of COFISA could be pivotal would be in the provincial innovation space and at local government level. With the central role currently played by provincial and local governments in service delivery and the fight against poverty, I believe the COFISA provincial and local government interventions are timely and welcome. Indeed, the envisaged COFISA pilot projects in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape have the potential to strategically impact positively on provincial and local innovation processes, such as the policy convergence dialogue and science parks developments.

We also believe that COFISA could render invaluable support to science and technology interventions for poverty alleviation. This is especially true when we harness information and communication technologies to effectively address socio-economic challenges. In this regard, Finland has already contributed considerably to Africa’s development. The COFISA has the potential to augment existing initiatives in poverty alleviation. But most importantly, through customised interventions, it could enhance shared learning on making technology and innovation work best for development.

South Africa and Finland’s common objective to mainstream knowledge and innovation as basic imperatives of the global struggle against poverty and sustainable development has found expression in different international forums, and most notably, at the recent World Summit on the Information Society. In this regard, COFISA offers us a unique opportunity to demonstrate in practice the logical interface between sustainable development and poverty alleviation, and the innovative application of knowledge and technology.

I am convinced that the achievements we hope to derive from the COFISA will inspire other developing countries. We also believe that the approach we are going to pilot under the auspices of the COFISA will be incorporated into the strategies of other donors and their partners within the region.

Within this context, I would like to emphasise the appropriateness of including, within the COFISA exercise, a focus on shared learning with other partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Southern Africa. In the forums of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Southern African Development Community, great premium is placed on science, technology and innovation. Indeed the 2007 African Union Summit is going to be devoted to this theme.

African leaders are convinced that science and technology, knowledge and innovation, are essential prerequisites for the growth and development of the Continent. Important national and regional investments are being made to support, for example, Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action. I have no doubt that the COFISA will also play an important part, through the envisaged shared learning, in informing the continental and regional innovation discourse.

May I, Ladies, and Gentlemen, now briefly reflect on the subject of partnership. I find it difficult to characterise appropriately the Finland-South Africa science and technology partnership. Thus far, our achievements in jointly hosting international events such as the highly successful 2006 Knowledge for Africa’s Development Conference, cooperation within this context or developing the COFISA instrument have simply been outstanding!

The COFISA will be a true flagship of the South Africa-Finland strategic science and technology partnership. More importantly, it will not be an isolated once off event. Soon it will be complemented by the South Africa–Finland ICT Knowledge Partnership (SAFIPA), as well as the special Finnish support programme for the Southern African Biotechnology Node, SANBIO. It is a unique portfolio of commitments, unparalleled in South Africa’s international science and technology cooperation.

In conclusion, may I acknowledge the invaluable support and pioneering spirit of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in launching this new and innovative development cooperation programme. I have no doubt that the COFISA will strengthen South Africa’s knowledge generation and innovation capacities, ultimately support our struggle against poverty and enhance the objectives of sustainable development. If successful, it could also become an important benchmark for similar experiences in the developing world.

Ambassador Tuunanen, you can count on my department to fully and successfully implement all these important initiatives. You have put your trust in us, and as true friends and partners, we pledge not to disappoint you.

Finally, I wish all those tasked with the implementation of the COFISA, especially the Chief Technical Advisor from Finland, well in the challenges ahead.

Please enjoy the evening with us.

I thank you.