CSIR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will strengthen research, development and innovation (RDI) into the fourth industrial revolution and digitisation, and promote digital inclusion and the creation of socioeconomic opportunities in information and communications technology (ICT) in South Africa.

In August 2021, the CSIR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thulani Dlamini, and the Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa, Dr Ayodele Odusola, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen their collaboration, which will see the parties working together on scientific and technological research to improve the performance of the economy and, essentially, address the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment in the continent.