Page 36 - EngineerIT AugustSeptember Issue 2026

RESEARCH

Focusing on the “I” in CSIR

EngineerIT in conversation with

CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini

By Hans van de Groenendaal, Science and Technology Writer

he Council for Scientific and Industrial “Over the past decade, we have been deliberate about improving our
Research (CSIR) has, for eight decades, industrial relevance and strengthening our relationships with industry
Tplayed a central role in South Africa’s partners” Dr Dlamini said.
science, technology and innovation
landscape. For the past nine years, under In 2018 and 2019, the CSIR developed a new strategy aimed at balancing
the leadership of Chief Executive Officer two important national imperatives: supporting the creation of a capable
(CEO) Dr Thulani Dlamini, the organisation state and contributing more directly to industrial development and
has placed renewed emphasis on the “I” economic growth.
in CSIR – industrial development – and on
ensuring that scientific capability “Our strategy identified 12 sectors of the South African economy where
translates into measurable economic we believed science, technology and innovation could bring about
and societal impact. transformative change,” Dr Dlamini said.

“It is in our mandate that the work we “Over the past seven years, we have executed more than 220 joint
do, must contribute to the industrial technology development projects with industry, localised in excess
development of South Africa,” said of 110 technologies and supported just under 950 small and medium
Dr Dlamini. “This is what is expected enterprises.”
of the CSIR.”
Industrialising and commercialising intellectual property
Dr Dlamini explained that around 2000, CSIR’s industrialisation focus comprises the commercialisation of
a review of the CSIR highlighted that our its intellectual property and providing technology development and
science base had been eroded and that innovation support through contract R&D to industry partners. Given the
the organisation needed to rebuild it. This size of the organisation and its 80-year history, the CSIR holds a significant
required renewed investment in intellectual property (IP) portfolio in the form of know-how, trade secrets
people, research capacity and and patents.
organisational focus to ensure
that the CSIR could deliver “In our view, monetising IP means generating revenue from all these
effectively on its mandate. forms of IP, as opposed to a narrow view that looks at only royalty or
Focusing on industrial licence income from patents. Currently we generate 81% of our revenue
development was therefore from the IP of the CSIR,” Dr Dlamini said. The CSIR constantly reviews
a natural progression for the its IP portfolio to ensure that it remains relevant and aligned to the
organisation. needs of the market. This includes its extensive patent portfolio, which is
maintained at a high cost.

The CSIR business model is based on developing strategic
capabilities from the investment that we receive from the
state, which we then leverage to develop technology
solutions, products and decision support tools for
industry and government.

To achieve this requires that we understand
current needs of our partners and anticipate
future requirements from a technology point of
view. Sometimes it happens that we are ahead
of the market, he says.

36 | EngineerIT August/September 2026