REDESIST -

Local Innovation and Production Systems (LIPS) Seminar

Tshwane/South Africa – April 2 -3, 2011

The event discussed the local innovation and production system (LIPS) framework with Southern African policy makers and other invited key role-players from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  It aimed at generating a shared appreciation of the LIPS approach as an alternative capable to face the governance and financing challenges of STI in South Africa. In addition, the seminar also encouraged the interaction and exchange of experiences between RISSI researchers and South African policy makers. 

The local partners with IERI for the seminar gathered the following six Ministries: Economic Development; Presidency (Planning Commission and Monitoring and Evaluation); Public Enterprises; Science and Technology; Trade and Industry; and Treasury (Finance). The seminar also searched for the participation of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology (National Assembly) together with the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI). The various implementing agencies of these ministries such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Human Sciences Research Council, Statistics South Africa, Technology Innovation Agency, and others were also invited to participate. Civil society representation included the Congress of South African Trade Unions and others. 

University-based research groups assisted the organization of the seminar, including the Wits University (Business School), Stellenbosch University (Centre for Research on Engineering, Science and Technology), and Pretoria University (Institute for Technological Innovation and the Gordon Institute for Business), amongst others. 

The outcomes of the seminar will be formally submitted to the South African National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology to be incorporated into further interactions for policy development.

Seminar program and presentations are available to download. 

The seminar took place at Tshwane University of Technology, at the offices of IERI, Metro-Skinner Campus, 159 Skinner Street, Pretoria CBD, City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province.