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Prof Calie Pistorius, Rector of the University of Pretoria (left) and Dr Lauri Kuukasjarvi, Chief Technical Officer of the COFISA project team recently at a Chief Technical Officer project meeting at the Hub.
Financial Mail Cover Story
6 April 2007
"From Aid to Trade
Over the past 12 years SA has signed dozens of bilateral agreements in the science and technology arena. Most are high-level commitments that promise a lot but deliver little. But there's a development partnership between SA and Finland that is refreshingly unconventional and could set the benchmark for future bilateral programmes." |
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The Finnish and South African governments are partnering to enhance the country's innovation system through the Cooperative Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland and South (COFISA). COFISA will run three pilot Regional Systems of Innovation in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape to stimulate rural innovation locally and help alleviate poverty.
The Innovation Hub has been selected as the strategic partner in Gauteng with a specific focus on the Tshwane Smart City Project as the pilot project for Gauteng's Regional System of Innovation.
Established in October 2006 to support the South African National System of Innovation (SANSI), COFISA initiatives will align those at the national, provincial and local tiers of government. Funding for the project of R30 million is being provided by the local Department of Science and Technology and the Finnish government.
Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Mosibudi Mangena indicated at the launch of the COFISA programme in September 2006, that "South Africa and Finland's common objective to mainstream knowledge and innovation as basic imperatives of the global struggle against poverty and sustainable development has found expression in different international forums, and most notably, at the recent World Summit on the Information Society." In this regard, he added, COFISA is a unique opportunity to demonstrate in practice the logical interface between sustainable development and poverty alleviation, and the innovative application of knowledge and technology.
The COFISA project team includes two Finnish experts, Dr Lauri Kuukasjarvi, as Chief Technical Officer and Mr Aki Enkenberg, as Junior Professional Officer, both of whom will be based in South Africa for three years. Locally Mrs Nirvashnee Seetal is acting as the SA National Coordinator, Ms Thokozile Mandyu as the Project Officer and Mr Aki Enkenberg as Junior Professional Officer. Since the beginning of April this year the COFISA team has been operating from a project office located at The Innovation Hub. The team is supported by a team of Finnish experts in a number of science and technology fields.
For more information on COFISA contact the project office at 012 841 2029.
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