WIPO mag gives CSIR a plug

"Building South Africa's innovation ecosystem" is the title of a piece in the most recent issue of the World Intellectual Property Organization's WIPO Magazine. Written by Catherine Jewell, of WIPO's Communications Division, it reviews the activities of South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organization, and its President, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi.

The CSIR looks like an interesting African project combining public and private cooperation in the funding of innovation, with just 30% of its cash coming directly from the state, the rest being made up through contract work with public and private sector entities. Founded in 1945, it is actually older than most African countries. Certainly it appears from its website that CSIR is a stable and successful organisation.  If so, this blogger wonders why has it not been a model to be emulated and developed across the Continent.