BIO Africa Convention

Media advisory

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is showcasing its biomanufacturing, agroprocessing and health innovation technologies at the BIO Africa Convention, taking place at the Durban International Convention Centre from 27 to 31 August 2022.

The theme for this year’s event is Africa resilient: Life sciences innovation for achieving health and food security.

The event brings key biotech stakeholders, including researchers, innovators, inventors and policymakers from around the globe, under one roof.

In addition, the conference provides an ideal platform to reach the broader biotech community of Africa for the commercialisation of local innovations. Biotechnology mainly impacts food security and healthcare, with the development of drought-tolerant crops and vaccines for the human immunodeficiency virus and viral agents.

As Africa’s largest science council with strong capabilities in biomanufacturing technologies, agroprocessing and health innovation, the CSIR’s top science researchers are contributing to the discussions with a key focus on indigenous knowledge-based nutraceuticals and health beverages, diagnostics and integrated biorefineries-bioprocessing technologies. The CSIR is also using the platform to explore funding opportunities in global markets – donors and venture funders.

The crisis of various pandemics in Africa and why the continent needs social entrepreneurs now more than ever, forms the crux of formulating solution-based technologies and policy framework that enable expedited funding processes.

New emerging sectors, such as the cannabis sector, are also in the spotlight. CSIR Research Group Leader for Agroprocessing, Dr Blessed Okole, says, “The CSIR can provide technical product and process development support to small, medium and micro-sized enterprises in the cannabis sector, with the aim of creating and expanding biomanufacturing activity and associated job creation.”

Dr Janine Scholefield, CSIR Research Group Leader for NextGen Health says, “It is clear from the BIO Africa convention that we have capabilities to prioritise stratified medicine approaches that can be region-specific. A key part of the value chain in localising technologies is to recognise our resource limitations by being adaptable in implementing agile technologies that have local disease burden solutions to specific populations across the continent. By collaborating with the right partners, Africa will be in a position to lead the world in addressing the lack of diversity across a spectrum of ancestry, age and gender.”

-ENDS-

Issued by CSIR Strategic Communications

For more information, contact:
David Mandaha: CSIR Media Relations Manager
Tel: 012 841 3654
Mobile: 072 126 8910
Email: dmandaha@csir.co.za 

About the CSIR:

The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za

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