The CSIR Smart Mobility cluster has started an industry focused programme referred to as the Young Industrialists Forum (YIF). The goal is for the CSIR’s young researchers and engineers to reach out to industry to engage on topics relating to “Smart Mobility '' in South Africa. Through this initiative the CSIR hopes to identify and develop areas of potential collaboration between CSIR and industry, in order to support the development and modernisation of the transport sector in South Africa.

The CSIR is engaging with important industry stakeholders to learn more about their current activities, challenges, and future strategies, particularly relating to the application of new (especially the Fourth Industrial Revolution) technologies in the transport sector, including:

• Data analytics and artificial intelligence;
• Internet of things (IoT) and sensors;
• Drones;
• Electric vehicles and
• Blockchain.
   

The programme kickstarted with a one-day workshop at the CSIR International Convention Centre on 3 March 2020. The workshop included a number of talks from both industry and the CSIR with the day culminating in a workshop session to roadmap industry challenges and possible solutions.

Please see the “Workshop 2020” page for more information on the workshop.

Projects

• Heavy vehicle simulator
• Performance Based Standards (PBS)
• Road Transport Management Systems (RTMS)
• Big Information Data Management in Pavement Engineering
• Geotechnical Considerations in Developing Smart Roads in SA
• Bridge Inspections using Drones and Image Processing
   

The CSIR YIF programme is committed towards reaching out to industry to engage on their challenges and helping them resolve them.