Media Releases
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased focus on the socio-economic benefits of broadband, including providing channels to distribute education services; enable e-governance services, including health data analytics; and provide entertainment during a period when at least a third of the world is under different levels of lockdown.
The most notable development in the local telecommunications sector is the temporary licensing of available International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum and the authorisation to use Television White Spaces (TVWS) during the state of disaster. The authorisation of TVWS also came with the request, by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to make its Secondary Geo-Location Spectrum Database (S-GLSD) platform available to the licensed operators.
A preliminary analysis of satellite data on air pollution shows a decrease in the concentrations of pollutants over South Africa during the national lockdown caused by the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country.
This is according to a team of researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) who are working in collaboration with Dr Eloise Marais from the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, to understand the impact of the lockdown on air quality in South Africa. These air quality experts say some parts of the country have been showing a decrease in the concentration of pollutants during this period.
Using satellites data, the team can explore the impacts of the lockdown on the concentrations of the pollutants in the atmosphere.
The CSIR will work with 3Sixty Global Solutions Group (3Sixty GSG) a subsidiary of NUMSA Investment Company (NIC), and Tautomer to fast-track the commercialisation of CSIR technologies.
The organisations entered into a tripartite agreement through NIC’s subsidiary 3Sixty GSG and their partner company, Tautomer, to explore any investment and collaboration opportunities at the CSIR.
The agreement was signed by CSIR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thulani Dlamini, 3Sixty GSG Chief Executive Officer, Mr Khandani Msibi and Tautomer Managing Director, Mr Martin Magwaza, in Pretoria, on Wednesday, 15 January 2020.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) can confirm that the National Association of South African Workers Union (NASA Workers) has embarked on a protected strike at the organisation’s main campus in Pretoria.
The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) National Conference, held from 1 to 5 December 2019 at Birchwood Conference Centre, Boksburg, hosted three student competitions that ran in parallel with the programme of the conference. The conference exhibition floor was a battleground for university students from within South Africa and the Southern African Development Community. Over 120 of these students where split between the Student Cluster Competition, the Cybersecurity Challenge and the Student Datathon Challenge.
National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System (NICIS) Centre Manager, Dr Happy Sithole, is impressed by the amount of effort that the students put into the competitions.
The Mandela Mining Precinct has unveiled two new rock drill prototypes developed by local innovators to enhance drilling operations, a significant move to advance the mining sector in the country.
The two high-tech prototype rock drills are set to reduce the exposure of operators to dangerous conditions and contribute to the aim of zero harm in mines. The prototypes are the culmination of an open innovation challenge launched in 2018 to develop a new rock drill for the South African mining industry.
The Mandela Mining Precinct will be unveiling two cutting-edge rock drill prototypes, designed for conventional mining in South Africa. The event will take place in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 19 November 2019.
CSIR will be hosting the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) Europe-Africa 2019 Regional Conference (PPS2019) in Pretoria on 18 - 21 November 2019.
The PPS meeting is a leading conference on polymer processing and it attracts internationally renowned scientists, engineers and designers in the field of polymer research and development. The goals of the society, as embodied in its constitution, are to foster scientific understanding and technical innovation in polymer processing by providing a discussion forum for the worldwide community of engineers and scientists in the field.
CSIR welcomes the gazetting of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019, by Minister Gwede Mantashe, on 18 October 2019. The finalisation of the IRP should provide the necessary certainty to all stakeholders as far as security of supply and energy mix choices in the medium to long-term is concerned.
The CSIR has made its initial insights available and highlighted the key risks and opportunities for South Africa that emanate from the IRP 2019.