Research relationships with Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and Higher education institutions (HEIs) are developed to:

• Implement joint-research projects of national and global significance  
• Build research networks to share experiences and knowledge that contribute to the strengthening of the science and technology base
• Create opportunities for staff career development and access human resource capacity of partners
• Address, through research, major national challenges, thereby contributing to the relevance of science councils and other research institutions

A few examples to highlight our success in partnering and collaborating with RTOs and HEIs are indicated below.

Partnering to develop our future coastal and port engineers

The CSIR and Stellenbosch University (SU) are jointly investing in the development of South African coastal and port engineers.

In the South African context, coastal and port engineers are highly sought after, as their skills are invaluable to the South African economy. With 90% of South Africa’s trade passing through its harbours, their structural stability is vital. Coastal and port engineers have a key role to play in this regard. Typically, coastal and port engineers are involved in building mathematical, as well as scaled, physical models of ports to allow them to determine how coastal structures will withstand the constant assault of wind and waves. A long-standing partnership between the CSIR and the Stellenbosch University (SU) aims to create opportunities for skills development and knowledge generation in this field.

The university benefits by exposing its students to real-life scenarios to ensure that its training is relevant, while the CSIR benefits from the knowledge generated by Master’s and PhD students and ultimately, from a pipeline that is equipped to join the profession.

The CSIR and the University of Limpopo collaborate to build capacity in remote sensing

The partnership between the CSIR and the University of Limpopo (UL) to build capacity in remote sensing in South Africa was motivated by the shortage of capacity and skills in spatial analysis at the CSIR and in southern Africa.

The role of the CSIR in the partnership is to accelerate capacity building and develop innovative technological tools for remote sensing. The partnership will support strategy development and decision-making in areas of risk and vulnerability.

The South African Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Centre (SARVAC), a research centre for spatial analysis and modelling, has been established as a result of the partnership between the CSIR and the UL. The centre, based at the university, provides up-to-date data and information through its links with the CSIR.