SA’s Quietly Famous Innovation and Research Hub CSIR Turns 75

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, created in 1945 through an act of parliament, turned 75 yesterday – its diamond jubilee. Working quietly in the background all the years, its scientists have developed numerous innovations that have helped move not only Africa but the world ahead.

The CSIR has become well known well known in the world as a scientific and technology organisation that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socioeconomic prosperity, and it works with the public and private sectors. It has divisions focusing on chemicals, agriculture, mining, manufacturing and cyberspace, among other things. To see more of the CSIR’s inventions.

During the COVID pandemic, the CSIR played a key role in helping roll out countrywide testing., the provision of ventilators and the tracking and tracing of positive cases.

The CSIR’s online services, Worldnet Africa and CompuServe, have been sold to MIH Limited, to form MWEB, which marked the start of commercial Internet services in South Africa.

Other inventions include CMore, a tool used to help combat rhino poaching through the provision of intelligence to decision makers. It integrates and processes data from different sensors and communication devices. The tool is currently used by the South African National Parks in the Kruger National Park.

The lithium-ion battery. The CSIR contributed to lithium-ion battery research through the discovery of lithium-metal-oxide electrode materials with a spinel-type structure. Today, lithium-ion batteries power our smart phones, laptop computers, electric vehicles,
smart grids and even our homes.

Resyn™ Biosciences. This award-winning company manufactures and sells microsphere-based research reagents to the international biosciences research and development
market.

In 2002, the CSIR made a breakthrough in biomedical stem cell technology by generating the first induced pluripotent stem cells in Africa. Scientists use these cells to study the interactions between pathogens and specific cell types in the context of African genetics.

The Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre was established at the CSIR in 2014 to provide product and process development support to South Africa’s SMMEs that intend to produce biologicals for industrial, veterinary and human applications.

Around 2015, CSIR researchers created the first high resolution, locally calibrated national map of woody cover for South Africa, using satellite-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mapping with existing light detection and ranging (LIDAR) datasets derived from airborne surveys. This is valuable to monitoring South Africa’s biodiversity and clearing of alien plants.

In 1999 the CSIR officially opened its clinical and botanical supplies unit in 1999. The facility is key in scientific studies that aim to add value to South Africa’s rich biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. It helps bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical trials through the production of pharmaceutical grade herbal products.

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande said, “Over the years, I have been observing, with great pride, the work that the organisation does; work that has made a huge contribution to our country. We are proud of what the CSIR has achieved in the past 75 years through science, technology, engineering and innovation.

“We also pay tribute to the leadership; the scientists and all the support staff, who over the years, particularly since the new dispensation into our democracy, have passionately, and are continuing to contribute to the transformation of the organisation,” he said.

“The CSIR has been committed to pushing boundaries in our quest for excellent research, technological innovation, and industrial and scientific development.”

– Additional reporting by SAnews.gov.za