CSIR: Changing Lives Through Leading Innovation

Established through an Act of Parliament in 1945, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) plays a key role in supporting public and private sectors through directed research, all aligned with the country’s priorities, the organisation’s mandate, and its science, engineering and technology competences.

“Our core values are EPIC and they are the driving force behind our ability to conduct cutting-edge research and technological innovation to improve the quality of life of South Africans,” the organisation defines. “The CSIR pursues Excellence, celebrates People, personifies Integrity, and welcomes Collaboration.

“Impact is at the core of our business and the organisation’s work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state. One of the few constants in the over 75-year history of the CSIR is the awareness of, and commitment to, the value that science and technology can deliver to the development of our country.”

CEO TENURE EXTENDED

Previously, Enterprise Africa profiled the CSIR and its workings in 2018, when the recent appointment of a new CEO was causing much excitement. Dr Thulani Dlamini had just stepped into the role vacated by the long-serving Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, returning from a stint with Sasol and relishing the chance to “work alongside the brilliant minds in the organisation.”

Even at that time Dlamini’s tenure to date had been successful and produced positive results, and this year the CSIR’s board unanimously agreed to extend the contract by a further five years, confirmed by Chairperson Prof Thokozani Majozi. “We are pleased to announce that the CSIR Board has approved the renewal of the CEO’s contract for another five years, commencing on 1st February 2022,” he said of the renewal, adding that the CSIR has made significant strides under Dr Dlamini’s tutelage.

“Foremost among these is the repositioning of the organisation to align with the country’s industrial needs through the commercialisation of our technologies, transformation of the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) base within the CSIR, as well as the accentuation of our visibility and accessibility.

“While there is still more work to be done, the CSIR now has demographic and gender representativity at the highest levels of the scientific ladder, which are Principal and Chief Researchers.”

At the outset of his time in the role Dlamini’s vision was to position the CSIR to make a meaningful impact to industrial development in South Africa. Significant improvements have been recorded under his leadership in the senior levels of the science, engineering and technology base, in streamlining the CSIR’s research development and innovation capabilities to attain better integration and alignment, while significant strides have been made in fostering the all-important relationship between the private and international sectors.

Improved profitability has been achieved in tandem with a retention of an exemplary track record of good corporate governance.

“I am honoured by the opportunity to continue leading the evolution of this prestigious organisation for the next five years, and I look forward to building on the progress and momentum of the past five years,” Dlamini effused following this most rapturous of reviews. “The advent of Covid-19 has delayed the full implementation of our strategy, nonetheless the next five years will see the CSIR further unlocking the potential of its innovations to make a difference in collaboration with our partners in industry and government.”

TOP EMPLOYER

Being certified in January by the Top Employers Institute categorically underlines the CSIR’s dedication to a better world of work, evinced by excellent HR policies and people practices. Declared a Top Employer 2022 in South Africa for the second consecutive year, such recognition speaks to the CSIR’s commitment to creating a workplace environment conducive to staff continuously making strides in the National System of Innovation, summated CSIR Group Executive for Human Capital and Communication, Andile Mabindisa.

“The CSIR has implemented a number of interventions to build and strengthen its pipeline in order to ensure sustainability of the business that is in line with the organisational strategy. We have outreach programmes, bursaries, internships, and graduate-in-training programmes aimed at realising the potential of bright young minds by nurturing and developing their expertise in various STEM fields.

“Our aim is to attract the next generation of scientists and to educate the general public about opportunities to be explored in the field of science and technology.”

Established over 30 years ago, the programme has certified and recognised more than 1,857 Top Employers in 123 countries and regions across five continents for such categories as people strategy, work environment, learning and diversity and inclusion and more. “Reflecting on the demanding year that has, like the year before it, impacted organisations across the world, the CSIR has continued to show that it prioritises maintaining excellent people practices in the workplace,” reported Top Employers Institute CEO David Plink. “They continue to meet the challenges of the changing world of work while working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the lives of their workforce.”

At the heart of the CSIR vision is to furnish knowledge solutions, for the inclusive and sustainable advancement of industry and society, through leading innovation. In November last year it demonstrated this yet again in another first for Africa, assisting SMME Sawubona Mycelium to produce 800 litres of liquid cultivated mushrooms called Enokitake, for bio-based cosmetic applications.  

Alongside the CSIR Biomanufacturing Industrial Development Centre (BIDC) Sawubona Mycelium is bringing the global mushroom ingredients mega-trend to South Africa having joined the BIDC programme in 2019, availing of its world-class equipment and research and development expertise.

“The conventional method of growing mushrooms is usually in a bed of soil or other material found in agriculture or similar,” explained CSIR Principal Investigator, Dr Ghaneshree Moonsamy. “However, for this project, we decided to cultivate this organism in a liquid growth medium, which was not only a technology shift for South Africa, but it also allowed the SMME to derive more valuable and superior ingredients from Enokitake,” she added, with the researchers also producing enough biomass to convert it to a dried mushroom powder, useful in food products such as thickeners or in supplements in the form of immuno-boosters.

“We are now working on a purification method that will be suitable for the cosmeceutical industry,” Busi Moloi of Sawubona Mycelium closed. “The incorporation of the mushroom-derived active ingredients into skincare products to produce clean, more effective and safe-to- use beauty products has become a global phenomenon.

“Therefore, as Sawubona Mycelium, we aim to continue to harness natural flora and botanical extracts, which also includes the use of mushrooms indigenous to southern Africa to produce fermented bio-based cosmetic products for the South African market.”