Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

South African scientific research and development organisation

Not to be confused with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India; or the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the forerunner to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia.

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Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

Abbreviation| CSIR
Formation| 1945[1]
Type| Research and development organisation
Location|

* Pretoria, South Africa

Region served

| South Africa

President and CEO

| Thulani Dlamini[2]
Website| www.csir.co.za

* South Africa portal

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a South African scientific research and development (R&D) organisation. It was established by an act of parliament in 1945 and is situated on its campus in Pretoria.[3] It is Africa's largest research and development organisation and accounts for about 10% of the entire African R&D budget.[citation needed] It has a staff of approximately 3,000 technical and scientific researchers.

## Overview

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The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches and develops transformative technologies to accelerate socioeconomic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation’s work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state. The CSIR is an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation.[4]

The organisation plays a key role in supporting the public and private sectors through directed research that is aligned with the country’s priorities, the organisation’s mandate and its science, engineering and technology competences. The nine high-impact sectors identified by the CSIR to achieve its aims are:

Industry advancement clusters

* Advanced Agriculture and Food
* NextGen Health
* Future Production: Chemicals
* Future Production: Mining
* Future Production: Manufacturing
* Defence and Security

Industry and society enabling clusters

* Smart Places
* Smart Mobility
* NextGen Enterprises and Institutions

### Presidents and chief executive officers

[edit]

Role  | Name  | Period  | Notes

|
|
|

President  | Basil Schonland | 1945–1950  | Founding president[5]
President  | Petrus Johann du Toit | 1950–1952  |
President  | Stefan Meiring Naude | 1952–1971  |
President  | Christiaan van der Merwe Brink  | 1971–1980  |
President  | Christoph Friedrich Garbers  | 1980–1990  |
President  | James Brian Clark  | 1990–1995  |
President  | Geoff Garrett | 1995–2000  |
President  | Sibusiso Sibisi  | 2002–2008  |
CEO  | Sibusiso Sibisi  | 2008–2017  |
CEO  | Thulani Dlamini  | 2017–present  |

## SERA

[edit]

Main article: Southern Education and Research Alliance

In 1999, a strategic alliance, the Southern Education and Research Alliance (SERA), was formed between the University of Pretoria and the CSIR.[6] SERA collaborates locally and internationally with universities, NGOs, companies, and multinational bodies in various research areas.[7]

## Aircraft

[edit]

* CSIR Sara II

## Controversy

[edit]

### Allegations of political interference

[edit]

In July 2016, the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism published an article that alleges that South Africa's Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor and Director-General Phil Mjwara were attempting to put undue pressure on the CSIR, at the behest of the African National Congress (ANC) treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, to favour the Chinese multinational Huawei Technologies in the purchase of a new 116 million South African rand (US$8 million) supercomputer for the institute. This followed the publication of the council's long-time CEO, Sibusiso Sibisi's, open letter of resignation stating that irregularities and political pressure on the awarding of contracts to suppliers were of great concern.[8]

### Biopiracy case

[edit]

In a case of biopiracy, bioprospectors from CSIR became interested in the Hoodia plant as an appetite suppressant for weight loss after a marketing campaign falsely claimed its efficacy. They patented it without recognising the San people's traditional claims to knowledge of the plant and its uses.[9] The patent was later sold to Unilever, which marketed Hoodia products as diet supplements.[10][11][12] In 2003, the South African San Council made an agreement with CSIR in which they would receive from 6 to 8% of the sales revenue of Hoodia gordonii products, money that would be deposited in a fund to purchase land for the San people who had been dispossessed of their lands by migrating tribes.[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Profile of the CSIR Archived 24 July 2012 at archive.today 6 October 2011.
2. ^ [1]. 9 February 2017.
3. ^ Profile of the CSIR Archived 24 July 2012 at archive.today. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
4. ^ "The Department of Science and Innovation".
5. ^ "Our History | CSIR". www.csir.co.za. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
6. ^ Highlights and Achievements Archived 24 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
7. ^ SERA Relationships and Links Archived 24 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
8. ^ amaBhungane (1 July 2016). "amaBhungane: CSIR's supercomputer tender and the theatre of the absurd that followed it". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
9. ^ Maharaj, VJ, Senabe, JV, and Horak, RM. 2008. Hoodia, a case study at CSIR. Science real and relevant: 2nd CSIR Biennial Conference, CSIR International Convention Centre Pretoria, 17&18 November 2008, pp 4 [2][3]
10. ^ Indigenous Peoples, Consent and Benefit Sharing: Lessons from the San-Hoodia Case (Rachel Wynberg, Doris Schroeder, Roger Chennells Springer, 4 December 2009
11. ^ Saskia Vermeylen. 2007. Contextualizing ‘Fair’ and ‘Equitable’: The San's Reflections on the Hoodia Benefit-Sharing Agreement Local Environment Vol. 12, Iss. 4,
12. ^ Rachel Wynberg 2010 Hot air over Hoodia | 13 October 2010 | Seedling
13. ^ Inventing Hoodia: Vulnerabilities and Epistemic Citizenship. 2011. CSW update APRIL "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2013.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

* CSIR Website
* CSIR Research Space - provides access to some of the research outputs generated by CSIR scientists
* Defence Research and Development in South Africa - The Role of the CSIR by Paul Cilliers
* Meraka Institute - The African Advanced Institute for Information and Communication Technology Archived 23 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
* Human Factors and Enterprise Engineering - research group at Meraka Institute [4] Archived 20 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine
* Transport research in the CSIR: [5] Archived 21 April 2013 at archive.today
* Optronic Sensor Systems Archived 21 April 2013 at archive.today
* Centre for Mining Innovation Archived 21 April 2013 at archive.today

* v
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Departments of the Government of South Africa

* The Presidency

Departments|

* Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
* Basic Education
* Communications and Digital Technologies
* Cooperative Governance
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Agencies with
department status|

* Government Communication and Information System
* Independent Police Investigative Directorate
* National School of Government
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* Public Service Commission
* Statistics South Africa

* v
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Southern Education and Research Alliance

Founding Partners|

* University of Pretoria
* CSIR

Ad hoc collaborative South African Institutions|

* Stellenbosch University
* Tshwane University of Technology
* University of the Free State
* University of Johannesburg
* University of KwaZulu-Natal
* University of Limpopo
* University of the Witwatersrand
* University of Venda
* Vaal University of Technology

Ad hoc collaborative International Institutions|

* Georgia Tech
* Kansas State University
* Amsterdam Medical Centre
* University of California, Berkley

* v
* t
* e

National Key Points in South Africa

Water supply sites|

* Zwartkopjies
* Zuikerbosch
* Vereeniging
* Mapleton
* Barrage
* Palmiet
* Eikenhof
* Vaal Dam
* Mokolo Dam Pump Station

Electricity generation
and transmission sites|

* Grassridge Transmission Station
* Perseus Transmission Station
* Lethabo Power Station
* Hydra Transmission Station
* Apollo Transmission Station
* Minerva Transmission Station
* Grootvlei Power Station
* Impala Transmission Station
* Klaarwater Distribution Station
* Pegasus Transmission Station
* Drakensberg Power Station
* Durban South Distribution Station
* Durban North Distribution Station
* Athene Transmission Station
* Lotus Park Distribution station
* Camden Power Station
* Hendrina Power Station
* Kriel Power Station
* Arnot Power Station
* Sol Transmission Station
* Matla Power Station
* Duvha Power Station
* Tutuka Power Station
* Kendal Power Station
* Komati Power Station
* Majuba Power Station
* Matimba Power Station
* Muldersvlei Transmission Station
* Acasia Transmission Station
* Droeriver Transmission Station
* Koeberg Nuclear Power Station
* Gourikwa Power Station
* Ankerlig Power Station
* Centlec

Crude oil,
fuel depot and
processing sites|

* OilTanking Grindrod Calulo
* Natref Refinery
* Bethlehem Pump Station
* Coalbrook Pump Station
* Sasol Pump Station
* Kroonstad Pump Station
* Magdala TPL Depot
* Wilge TPL Depot
* Shell Depot Alrode
* Chevron Alrode
* Sasol Depot Alrode
* Total Depot Alrode
* Alrode
* Chevron Texaco
* Airport e-Natis Facility
* Tarlton Distribution Depot
* Klerksdorp Depot
* Langlaagte Depot
* Meyerton Depot
* Rustenburg Depot
* Sasol Secunda
* Jericho Pump Station
* Rieftontein Pump Station
* Grootfontein Pump Station
* Vygeboom Pump Station
* Bosloop Water Pump Station
* Nooitgedact Pump Station
* Transnet Pipeline Witbank Depot
* Khutala Pump Station
* Zaaihoek Pump Station
* Chevron Refinery
* PetroSA Voorbaai
* PetroSA GTL Refinery
* FA Production Platform
* ORCA

Presidential
residential sites|

* Nelson Mandela Qunu Village residence
* Mahlamba Ndlopfu Presidential Residence
* Sefako Makgatho Presidential Residence
* President of South Africa Residence Nkandla
* JL Dube House
* Presidential Residence (Genadendal)

Government sites|

* Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature
* Free State Legislature
* Northern Cape Provincial Legislature
* Pretoria Union Buildings
* North West Provincial Legislature
* KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
* Government Building Nelspruit
* Limpopo Legislature
* Houses of Parliament, Cape Town
* 120 Plein Street, Cape Town
* Western Cape Provincial Parliament
* SARB Port Elizabeth
* SARB East London
* SARB Bloemfontein
* SARB Port Elizabeth
* SARB Pretoria
* SARB Johannesburg
* South African Bank Note Company

Space, science
and technology sites|

* Square Kilometre Array
* Onderstepoort Biological Products
* SSA Communication Centre
* CSIR Wind Tunnel
* Denel Land Systems
* Denel Dynamics
* Main Telephone Exchange (PPR)
* ArcelorMittal
* African Explosives
* Denel Aviation
* BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa
* Hartebeeshoek Earth Station
* NECSA
* South African National Space Agency
* Rheinmetall Denel Munition South Africa

Airports|

* O. R. Tambo International Airport
* King Shaka International Airport
* Cape Town International Airport

25°44′53″S 28°16′34″E﻿ / ﻿25.7481°S 28.2762°E﻿ / -25.7481; 28.2762

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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People|

* Trove
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Other|

* IdRef

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