DST and Nokia partner on ICT initiatives

Addressing the media on this partnership, the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, acknowledged the role of ICT in stimulating economic growth. "This is why the DST is leading the implementation of the national ICT research, development and innovation strategy. In this regard, we view public-private partnerships to be of importance for us in achieving this objective," said the Minister.

One of the key expected outcomes of this plan is an innovative indigenous ICT industry that addresses South Africa’s ICT needs in the public and private sectors, and attracts investment by multinationals involved in innovation and manufacturing.

In addition to a significant increase in the number of postgraduate students at Masters and PhD levels, these R&D outputs are gradually evolving into near-market prototypes, large-scale technology demonstrators and packaged solutions that can readily address key priorities of government, such as education, health and enhanced citizen interaction with government.