Question NW955 to the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
25 September 2024 - NW955
Zondo, Mr S S to ask the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
Given that the digital economy holds significant potential for job creation and, therefore, innovation becomes a crucial factor for global competitiveness when nurtured and supported, what total (a) number of digital innovation ideas were proposed to the (i) relevant directorates of his department and (ii) entities reporting to him and (b) amount has his department invested in the specified ideas?
Reply:
Question (a) (ii) between 2014/15 and 2024/25, 236 digital innovations were proposed and funded through the Mobile Applications Laboratory (NPC); (b) These were funded to a total amount of R34,660,037. The funds were made available by the ICT and Services Industry directorate (2014/15 – 2020/21) and the Technology for Sustainable Livelihoods directorate (2021/22 – 2024/25).
Question (a) (ii) Since the Grassroots Innovation Programme (GIP) was transferred to the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) in 2019 for scale-up, 170 GIP innovations have been supported on ICT innovation; (b) Over this period the S&T for Sustainable Human Settlements directorate has funded through TIA to an amount of R57,860,000.
Question (a)(ii) Since 2022/23 financial year, the Technology Innovation Agency has supported 15 digital economy tech applications. Historically (2013 to date), the portfolio comprises a total of 46 technologies; (b) The 46 technologies have been funded to an amount of R280,704,721.
The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) also established the Foundational Digital Capabilities Research platform which is deliberate about building the foundational digital capabilities that are required to form the building blocks of application development and customisation within all the factor economy sectors that could be leveraged for South Africa to leapfrog into the Digital Economy space, as per the Digital Economy Masterplan of the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies. From 2022/23 to 2023/24, the DSI invested a total amount of R226,726,000. In 2024/25 the DSI will invest R110 million into the FDCR platform, with projections that the funding will increase by compounded 5% per year in the following 8 years. The FDCR platform research spans five digital domains that include Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cybernetics; Cloud-to-Edge Computing, Networking and Advanced-IoT; Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality; Blockchain and Cybersecurity; and Modelling and Simulation.