Page 37 - EngineerIT AugustSeptember Issue 2026

RESEARCH

Dr Dlamini cited the example of lithium-
ion battery materials research in the
1980s, where the CSIR was ahead of its
time. Patents were acquired, but there
was little industrial interest then and the
R&D was eventually abandoned.

“In hindsight it was a terrible mistake,”
he said. “At the time we did not
anticipate the rapid explosion of
Li-based materials as the preferred
materials for energy storage. It was
also very difficult to get private sector
investment, because the market
did not exist. This is where we would “We have Board representation in the companies that we invest in and
expect the state to come in to ensure generally remain involved for between five and ten years, which is a reasonable
that the technology developed could period for technology and the business to mature. We currently have a large
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be sustained and further de-risked. portfolio of commercialisation opportunities that CSIR: C is supporting,
Therefore government grants are including two start-up companies.”
important to pursue research topics
where there is not an immediate market.” Foreign interest and global partnerships
The CSIR’s commercialisation efforts are also attracting international interest.
This example illustrates one of One example is in the field of passive radar, where CSIR IP was licensed to an
the central challenges in science, American company to take the technology to market.
technology and innovation: the market
does not always immediately recognise There are many other international partners that we are engaging with as
the value of emerging technologies. potential investors or licensees.
Long-term public investment is therefore
essential to protect strategic capabilities Funding the CSIR’s mandate
until markets mature. In the current funding model, the CSIR receives 19% from a government grant
and 81% through contract research for government and the private sector. Over
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CSIR C : Collaborate, create and the past seven years, the portion generated from the private sector has grown
commercialise by over 25%, in an economy that is growing by only 2% per year. International
In 2023, the CSIR created a wholly owned income has grown by over 120%, making up about 12,5% of total income.
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company called CSIR C – Collaborate,
Create, Commercialise – to drive the For Dr Dlamini, these figures show that the CSIR is increasingly able to compete
commercialisation of CSIR IP and create for work, attract partners and demonstrate the value of its capabilities. At the
an ecosystem with entrepreneurs who same time, the organisation continues to depend on the state grant to sustain
can see the business value of the IP, long-term research, maintain strategic capabilities and invest in areas where
take technologies to market and attract markets have not yet fully developed.
further investment.
What’s to come
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CSIR C , also known as CSIR C-CUBE, In terms of skills, Dlamini says that South Africa faces a challenge of a shortage
was established to provide a focused of experienced SET, especially in priority areas in data science, certain defence
technology commercialisation vehicle capabilities, etc. To solve this problem will require a long-term, co-ordinated
that can work with entrepreneurs, and holistic approach involving science councils, HEIs and industry.
investors and industry partners to
accelerate the journey from research The CSIR’s renewed focus on industrial development is therefore not only about
output to market-ready technology. commercialising patents or growing revenue. It is about positioning science,
technology and innovation as active instruments of national development.
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Said Dlamini, “Through CSIR:C we It is about building industrial capability, strengthening the state, supporting
invest in maturing CSIR technologies enterprises, localising technologies and helping South Africa compete in a
and in some instances take equity in rapidly changing global economy.
the companies created from this IP. So
we do not give grants, as that is the The CSIR is a forward-looking institution and one worth watching as it continues
responsibility of TIA and others. to translate science into industrial and societal impact.

37 | EngineerIT August/September 2026