Implementing a research data policy
in South Africa
Michael KahnCentre for Research Evaluation of Science and Technology,
University of Stellenbosch, South AfricaBISO-BRDI-CFRS Symposium
The National Academies, Washington D.C. 18-19 April 2011
Outline
1. South Africa – Gateway for the BRICs?
2. National innovation system & policy
3. Prospects for research data policy
1885 – Berlin Conference; colonization; “Scramble for Africa’
1945 – 1989 Period of decolonization; consolidation of states; elite formation
1989 – The fall of the Berlin Wall (or was it pushed?)
FDI into Africa = 2% of world total; SA #3 after EU, China?
Africa 2050 = 2 billion people; SSA > 1 billion – new trade blocs; new power relations
1. South Africa – Gateway for the BRICs?
CO2/cap
Gini Lit% %<$2
Life M yr
Life F yr
PhD/m GERD/GDP %
BR 1.8 .57 89 21 67 75 44 0.83
RU 9.8 .41 99 12 59 72 209 1.08
IN 1.2 .37 61 80 63 64 13 0.80
CN 2.7 .47 91 47 70 73 18 1.33
ZA 7.6 .58 82 34 44 45 24 0.95
World Bank World Development Report 2007; Economist 31.10.09; ISSC WSSR 2010
Political economy
From three decades of siege economy and racial exclusion Post 1994 - ‘constructed crisis’ – developmental state modulated by “inclusion”. Class tensions. Agriculture 3%; Manufacturing 32%; Services 65% Minerals-energy complex Employment: 9%; 26%; 65% Business the main actor in R&D. Evidence of Triple Helix at work:
ARC-Uni-agribusiness CSIR-Uni-Miners
World class financial system with large carry trade. Domestic TNCs across Africa, Middle and Near East Open economy with symptoms of Dutch Disease
South Africa is the leading African sourceof FDI, accounting for over 70% of the region’stotal outward FDI stock. As early as the 1970s ithad already become a major source of FDI fromdeveloping countries. Flows have beenconcentrated in developed countries: three quartersof the country’s outward FDI stock is in Europeand about one tenth in North America. Althoughonly 9% of its outward FDI goes to Africa, thecountry is among the leading foreign investors inmany African countries.
UNCTAD World Investment Report 2006
Into Africa
Roaring Lions: small innovation systems – but poorly measured
Sources: UNESCO World Science Report, 2011; Web of Science; UIS; http://info.worldbank.org/etools/kam2
Country GERD GERD/ Graduates KEI
rankISI
(articles) Main
PPP USD m
(2007) GDP Sciences; Engineers (2009) 2006-10 Field
Angola - - 17; 7 127 104 HealthChad - - - - 81 Health
Congo (D.R.) 75 0.48 - - 378 Health
Ethiopia 106 0.17 2440; 2613 141 2 035Agric/Health
Mozambique 83 0.53 277; 105 136 401 Health
South Africa 4 000 0.92 30k; 10k 46 30 000Env/ecoHealth
Zambia 3.8 0.036 - 123 689 Health
UNIVERSITIES
RESEARCH
COUNCILS
BUSINESS
NGOs
GOVT. DEPTS INSTITUTES &
MUSEUMS
S&T SERVICES
UTILITIES
INFORMAL
SECTOR
Regulatory framework
Legal framework including IP Standards
Cultural-
Political norms
Financial system
Associations
EDUCATION
TRAINING
SKILLS DEV
2. National innovation system & policy
Informationpolicy
• R&D Strategy (2002)• Reorganization with some refocusing• HRD - SA Research Chairs; Centres of Excellence• Framework conditions: IP law; Tax Incentive
• Innovation Plan (2008) • Space Science – remote monitoring & telemetry• Energy, hydrogen economy & new materials -
catalysis• Farmer to Pharma-biotech, plant & animal science• Global dynamics – climate change – remote sensing• Human and Social Dynamics – social sciences
• Technology Innovation Agency (2010)• Employment Equity & Immigration Law• New Growth Path & Industrial Policy• Support for African Union-NEPAD• Promotion of international networking• Infrastructure – Center for High-speed Computing
Innovation Policy – context & instruments
• Data rich at system level Input, process and output data and indicators
R&D & Innovation Survey; Education Statistics; Privately held bibliographic data: SA Knowledgebase Higher Education Management Information System Research Information Management System - pending
Regulatory frameworks and regulators Clinical trials register Gene banks – fauna, insecta and flora Plant Breeders rights Biodiversity and indigenous knowledge compliance Ethical clearance built into funding awards process Promotion of Access to Information Act Patent Amendment Act
3. Prospects for research data policy
• Data rich at sector level – Southern skies, fauna & flora, people, earth and oceans• SA Earth Observation Network• Optical astronomy – SAAO & SALT• Radio astronomy – HART, MeerKAT & SKA• Hermanus Magnetic & Seismographic Observatory• Oceanographic and Antarctic data (MCM, SAAS)• Geological (Council for Geosciences)• Meteorological data – SA Weather Service• Social science (HSRC; SADA) • SA National Institute for Biodiversity• SA Institute for Aquatic Diversity• Statistics SA: Census; Labour Force Survey;
Household Expenditure • Health: Medical Research Council; clinical trials
• Information poor at system and sector levels• Two ‘natural’ problems:
• Bounded rationality• Silos
• Fragmentation by default• Statistics SA - coordination mandate for national surveys • Department of Science and Technology has mandate to
coordinate S&T budgets, but not too coordinate information
• National Advisory Council on Innovation – lacks authority (compare with National Council on Higher Education)
• The normal problem of MIS designed for one task being used to address other purposes
• Resource limitations – inadequate meta data and training
• Prospects for coordination – reasonable• Commitment to monitoring and evaluation at
highest level• Minister for M&E in the Presidency• Indicator-based performance agreements for
Ministers• Commitment to Big Science – Square Kilometre
Array• Support to AMCOST CPA S&T ASTI & flagships
• Implies high-speed wide area networking• Data sharing regionally and internationally• Supportive infrastructure and legislation
• Commitment to OECD Guidelines for Access to Publicly Funded Research 2007
• Review of Science System under way – an opportunity to accelerate progress on data sharing
• Toward a data access policy• Data sharing as the (qualified) norm• Issues of sovereignty, resource protection, indigenous
knowledge• Ethical clearance to involve data sharing protocol?• North-South relationships:
• Academic hunters exploiting data gatherers?• African datasets hosted abroad
• Abuse of research permit mechanisms to restrict inquiry – security laws may be a barrier
• Digitization of paper MIS a priority• Legislation for publication archiving in place• Promotion of open access publishing• Knowledge Divides (UNESCO/ISSC, 2010), but the
Invisible College of Science functions – witness co-publication