the national programme on research, … 2014 to...technology and innovation nprsti 2014/15 to...

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON RESEARCH, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tel: +264 61 431 7000 | Fax: +264 61 229 925

Private Bag 13253 | Windhoek | Namibia

Cnr Louis Raymond & Grant Webster Street | Olympia | Windhoek

THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME

ON RESEARCH, SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

NPRSTI2014/15 to 2016/17

REPUBLIC OF NAMBIA

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation i

FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................................ III

STATEMENT .................................................................................................................................................V

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................VII

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................................IX

LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................XI

SECTION 1: BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 2

CHAPTER 1: AIMS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON RSTI ........................................... 3

CHAPTER 2: NAMIBIA’S RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SYSTEM ..................................... 6

CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES

AND THREATS (SWOT) ................................................................................................................... 10

Namibia’s RSTI Strengths .................................................................................................................... 11

Namibia’s RSTI Weaknesses ................................................................................................................. 13

Namibia’s RSTI Opportunities ............................................................................................................. 15

Namibia’s RSTI Threats ........................................................................................................................ 17

SECTION 2: NATIONAL RSTI STRATEGY ......................................................................................... 20

CHAPTER 4: TARGETS ..................................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 5: STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................... 24

Priority 1: Creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment required to frame and

support the science and technology development .................................................................................. 27

Priority 2: Building research capacities, infrastructure and technical skills while creating

research groups with a critical mass to guarantee the strength and sustainability of the research

and innovation system ........................................................................................................................... 32

Priority 3: Promoting cooperation in research and innovation activities resulting in an improved

response to economic and social challenges. .......................................................................................... 38

Priority 4: Disseminating scientific and technological knowledge, looking towards a growing

involvement of institutions, researchers, enterprises and entire population ........................................ 42

Priority 5: Promoting innovation in the economic and social sectors .................................................. 45

SECTION 3: PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS ....................................................................................... 51

CHAPTER 6: RESEARCH AREAS ADDRESSING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

CHALLENGES .................................................................................................................................... 52

T A B L E o f C o n t e n t s

ii The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

Health .................................................................................................................................................... 52

Agriculture ............................................................................................................................................ 53

Fisheries ................................................................................................................................................. 55

Water ..................................................................................................................................................... 55

Energy ................................................................................................................................................... 56

Geosciences ............................................................................................................................................ 57

Mining ................................................................................................................................................... 58

Indigenous Knowledge .......................................................................................................................... 58

Social Sciences and Humanities ............................................................................................................ 59

Logistics ................................................................................................................................................. 60

Environment and Tourism .................................................................................................................... 61

CHAPTER 7: RESEARCH AREAS ADDRESSING ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES ................ 63

Manufacturing Technologies................................................................................................................. 63

Information and Communication Technology ...................................................................................... 64

Biotechnology ........................................................................................................................................ 65

Space Science ......................................................................................................................................... 66

SECTION 4: IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING & EVALUATION STRATEGY .................. 68

CHAPTER 8: FINANCING AND IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................. 69

Financing ............................................................................................................................................... 69

Implementation ...................................................................................................................................... 70

CHAPTER 9: MONITORING & EVALUATION ........................................................................... 71

The Monitoring & Evaluation Concept ................................................................................................ 71

Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (RSTI) Information Management System ................. 72

NPRSTI Monitoring ............................................................................................................................. 73

NPRSTI Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 74

APPENDIX:

NATIONALPROGRAMME ON RESEARCH, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND INNOVATION IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTPUT FRAMEWORK .......................... 76

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation iii

T he Government of the Republic of

Namibia recognizes the important

role of research, science, technology

and innovation in national socio-economic

development. In 2004, the Government launched

VISION 2030 (V2030) which recognizes the

need to adopt a science and technology-

led development strategy. Thereafter, the

Government took action to establish national

institutional structures that support the

development and application of science and

technology. The National Commission on

Research, Science and Technology (NCRST)

is mandated to coordinate and facilitate the

development of science and technology.

The NCRST, together with various stakeholders

have successfully facilitated the development of

this National Programme on Research, Science,

Technology and Innovation (NPRSTI), which

is designed to set out the national direction on

research, science and technology for Namibia.

The NPRSTI is aligned with the Government’s

national development agenda, which is clearly

outlined in the various key policy documents

including the Fourth National Development

Plan (NDP4) and the National Human

Resources Plan.

The NPRSTI is also aligned with the African

Union (AU) Africa Science and Technology

Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) as well as

the New Partnership for Africa’s Development

(NEPAD) African Science, Technology and

Innovation Indicators Initiative, which are

continental development agendas geared

towards improving policy conditions and

building innovation mechanisms within,

among and between countries, including

Namibia.

It is clearly articulated within the NPRSTI

that for Namibia to make significant strides

in integrating science and technology in

national socio-economic development, there is

a need for strong and sustained commitment

F O R E W O R D

iv The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

towards the development and application of

science and technology by all stakeholders in

the country. The time has, therefore, come to

now strengthen implementation of the science,

technology and innovation policies in order to

safeguard the country’s future in light of global

developments.

Consequently, the Government of the Republic

of Namibia through the Ministry of Education

and the National Commission on Research,

Science and Technology presents in this

document, a comprehensive statement of

intent to pursue the development, adoption

and utilization of science, technology and

innovation in Namibia to improve the

livelihoods and socio-economic status of our

people and subsequently the contribution

of these strategies to overall national

development.

Our Government is committed to provide

the resources required to facilitate the

commencement of research in priority

areas identified in the NPRSTI. The overall

investment framework established by the

Programme will be taken forward in the context

of our National Development Plans. On behalf

of the Government, I would like to thank all

who contributed to the development of this

NPRSTI. I am confident that the energy and

enthusiasm that has driven its development will

continue to fuel its successful implementation.

The successful implementation of the NPRSTI

requires total commitment and involvement

of all stakeholders in realizing the goal of

a knowledge society, built on excellence

in science, technology and innovation. I,

therefore, call upon all Namibians to support

the NPRSTI and enthusiastically assist in its

implementation.

Hifikepunye Pohamba

PRESIDENT OF THE

REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA, 2014

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation v

S cience, Technology and Innovation

is vital to our economic and social

progress and provides tools and

solutions to address global challenges. It is

therefore, imperative that in order for Namibia

to remain an innovative, a progressive, and

a relevant nation in the global economy,

Namibians must make maximal utilization of

their science and technology base.

The adoption of the National Policy on

Research, Science and Technology (NPRST) in

1999 and the enactment of the Research, Science

and Technology (RST) Act of 2004 (Act no. 23

of 2004), signify the importance of effective

application of scientific and technological

skills for the production of goods and services

to national development. The National

Programme on Research, Science, Technology

and Innovation (NPRSTI) has been developed

in terms of Section 18 of the RST Act with the

aim of providing a comprehensive framework

for actualizing Namibia’s Science, Technology

and Innovation (STI) development aspirations.

The NPRSTI is based on a shared vision of

setting the national direction on STI and

its application for the benefit of society.

The roadmap for achieving that vision has

been developed through consultation with

various stakeholders including Government

Ministries, the Private Sector, Civil society,

NGOs, research institutions in STI, universities

and development partners, among others.

The consultative process, through which this

Programme has been developed, gives me

the assurance that it is jointly owned by all

stakeholders and will therefore receive the

necessary support in its implementation.

The NPRSTI encompasses the steps we need

to take in creating all round capacities in STI

infrastructure; developing a critical mass of

scientists and engineers that are necessary

for spearheading and sustaining industrial

development and economic transformation;

S T A T E M E N T

vi The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

increasing research and scientific innovation

support mechanisms through capitalization

of the STI Fund; an aspirational goal of

enhanced budget support as % of Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) expenditure on

research and development activities over the

next three years; and enhanced private-public

partnerships and international collaboration.

The NPRSTI sets out direction for a future in

which Namibia has an advanced RSTI capacity

that can be deployed to effectively address

our socio-economic challenges ranging from

food insecurity, health, developing sustainable

energy solutions; industrialization and

promoting competitiveness amongst others.

During the formulation of this NPRSTI effort

has been made to set priority for research areas

that we believe if performed correctly, will

have a bigger impact on our development.

Taking into consideration the limited

resources, the principle of “first things first”

was adopted to prioritize in order to ensure

that we reach our Research and Development

(R&D) objectives quicker and to avoid ending

up with a long wish list that cannot be

implemented with the available resources. The

national (R&D) priorities are established with

the aim to stimulate and support technological

innovations which have applications in several

socio-economic sectors.

The implementation of the NPRSTI presents the

opportunity to formulate and design evidence-

based and robust RSTI related policies and

legislation that will guide investments in

Science, Research, Technology and Innovation

during the three year implementation

period. The evidence generated through the

implementation of the NPRSTI will inform

the development of a National Science and

Technology Investment Plan, which, when

actualized through the RST Fund, will

provide a gateway for industry, private sector,

regional and international partners to support

Nationally prioritized RSTI targeted activities

and initiatives.

I am convinced that this NPRSTI contains the

foundations we require to produce a generally

science and innovation-literate society and

workforce, thus contributing greatly towards

strengthening Namibia’s competitiveness

in the knowledge arena. I am therefore

enormously proud to present the Three-Year

National Programme on Research, Science,

Technology and Innovation to the nation.

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation vii

T he National Programme on Research,

Science, Technology and Innovation

(NPRSTI) has been developed within

the broader context of V2030’s goal for Namibia

to become “a prosperous and industrialised

Namibia, developed by her human resources,

enjoying peace, harmony and political

stability”. Furthermore, according to V2030,

Namibia aspires to become a healthy and food-

secure nation, with a resource-based industrial

sector and commercial agriculture, and is

placing great emphasis on skills development.

The NDP4, which is a 5 year implementation

tool for V2030 has set three high level goals,

namely: high and sustained economic growth,

employment creation, and increased income

equality. This is also aligned with the AU-

NEPAD continental goals which call for “the

application of science, technology and related

innovations to eradicate poverty and achieve

sustainable development; and to ensure that

Africa contributes to the global pool of scientific

knowledge and technological innovations”.

They also match with the AU-NEPAD’S

recommendation to focus on Research

and Development (R&D) infrastructure,

institutional arrangements, human skills base,

regional cooperation, civil society constituency

for Science and Technology (S&T), quality of

STI policies, mainstreaming S&T into sectorial

programmes and projects, and its application

to achieve specific Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs); and the promotion of innovative

ways and means of financing.

The National Commission on Research, Science

and Technology (NCRST) as a coordinating

agency can, and will particularly play a central

role in coordinating the implementation of

this programme. The 3-year NPRSTI1 seeks

to operationalise and instrumentalise that

role in driving Namibia’s transformation for

1 The NPRSTI 3-year timeframe has been established to be in alignment with the NDP cycle.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

viii The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

economic development. Although limited

information is available on the RSTI landscape

in Namibia today, this NPRSTI presents the

first coherent attempt to address the RSTI

challenges currently faced by our country.

The focus is not so much on where we are as

a nation today in terms of RSTI, but where we

should be at the end of this programme, and at

the end of NDP4. The targets for 2017set in this

programme specifically outlined the desired

future for Namibia if Vision 2030 (V2030) is to

be attained. The principle underpinning this

NPRSTI, while recognizing that R&D is the

key to scientific and technological progress, we

believe Namibia’s approach to RSTI is to use it

as a tool to help solve our society’s deep and

pressing socioeconomic challenges.

There is no doubt that Namibia’s prospect

for improved competitiveness and economic

growth would depend on how the country

takes advantage of opportunities presented

by RSTI. Thus it is important for Namibia

to strengthen its efforts in accelerating its

economic socio-economic development. This

would require concerted effort to be able to

seize opportunities presented by the modern

sciences and technologies in order to harness

long-term and sustainable solutions, especially

in areas of national importance.

Dr Eino Mvula

Chief Executive Officer, 2014

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation ix

T he National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (NPRSTI)

identifies Namibia’s priority areas for investment in research, science, technology and

innovation and presents an implementation programme for the remainder of the fourth

National Development Plan (NDP4). The Programme responds to research priority areas which

address and contribute to solving the primary social and economic challenges of Namibia.

This programme document contains the following:

• Outlines the aims of the NPRSTI

• Summarises Namibia’s Research & Innovation system

• Presents an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within

Namibia’s RSTI landscape

• Describes the National RSTI Strategic Priority Areas

• Outlines the various targeted research areas addressing social and economic challenges and

those addressing enabling technologies

• Identifies the financing mechanisms for the programme

• Details an Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy

The proposed areas of research cut across several sectors and include the health; agriculture and

fisheries; water; energy; geology and mining; indigenous knowledge; social sciences and humanities,

logistics; environment and tourism; as well as the areas addressing enabling technologies which are

manufacturing technologies; information and communication technology; biotechnology and space

science.

The NPRSTI focuses on increasing science and technology financing; building research capacities

and technical skills; strengthening research and development infrastructure; creating an enabling

policy and regulatory environment; promoting public understanding of science and technology as

well as establishing and strengthening national, regional and international cooperation between

stakeholders in RSTI.

E X E C U T I V E S u m m a r y

x The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

Several actions are necessary for the effective implementation of the NPRSTI. These include provision

of adequate funding, appropriate and efficient institutions, the establishment of monitoring

mechanisms, as well as trained and effective research staff.

The National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) will coordinate the

implementation of the NPRSTI in collaboration with a cross section of stakeholders guided by the

mandates and primary responsibilities of their respective Ministries, Offices and Agencies (MOAs),

private sector institutions and civil society organizations. The NPRSTI will be financed by the

government of Namibia in partnership with the private sector, development partners and civil

society. The MOAs will plan for and access resources for implementation of the NPRSTI through

their regular budget processes.

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation xi

ALANAssociation of Local Authorities in Namibia

AU- NEPADAfrican Union - New Partnership for Africa’s Development

BIPABusiness Intellectual Property Agency

BGRGerman Federal Institute for Geoscience and Natural Resources

BON Bank of NamibiaCPA Consolidated Plan of ActionCCF Cheetah Conservation FundCOP Conference of the Parties

CTBTOComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organizations

DBN Development Bank of Namibia

DRFNDesert Research Foundation of Namibia

ECB Electricity Control BoardECN Engineering Council of NamibiaEIF Environmental Investment FundFTE Full Time Equivalent GDP Gross Domestic ProductHEIs Higher Education Institutions

HIV/AIDSHuman Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus

HR Human ResourcesHRD Human Resource Development

ICTInformation and Communication Technology

IKS Indigenous Knowledge SystemIKC Indigenous Knowledge CouncilIP Intellectual PropertyIPR Intellectual Property RightsIT Information Technology

IWRMIntegrated Water Resources Management

MAWFMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry

MDG Millennium Development GoalsMFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MFMRMinistry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

MGECWMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare

L I S T o f A c r o n y m s a n d A b b r e v i a t i o n s

MICTMinistry of Information and Communication Technology

MME Ministry of Mines and EnergyMOAs Ministries, Offices and AgenciesMOD Ministry of DefenceM&E Monitoring and EvaluationMOE Ministry of EducationMOF Ministry of Finance

MOHSSMinistry of Health and Social Services

MOJ Ministry of JusticeMOL Ministry of Labour

MLRMinistry of Lands and Resettlement

MSS Ministry of Safety and SecurityMTI Ministry of Trade and Industry

MRLGHRDMinistry of Regional, Local Government and Housing and Rural Development

MWT Ministry of Works and Transport

MYNSSCMinistry of Youth, National Services, Sport and Culture

NAMCOLNamibian College of Open Learning

NAMCORNational Petroleum Corporation of Namibia

NAMPORT Namibia Ports AuthorityNAMWATER Namibia Water CorporationNBA Namibia Breeders Association

NBRINational Botanical Research Institute of Namibia

NCCINamibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry

NCRENational Council on Research Ethics

NCRSTNational Commission on Research, Science and Technology

NDCNamibia Development Corporation

NDF Namibian Defence Force

NDP4Fourth National Development Plan

NGOsNon-Governmental Organizations

NHC National Heritage Council of Namibia

xii The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

NHRDPNational Human Resource Development Plan

NIH National Innovation HubNIP Namibia Institute of PathologyNIS National Innovation System

NMANamibia Manufacturing Association

NPC National Planning Commission

NPRSTINational Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

NSA Namibia Statistics Agency

NSFAFNamibia Student Financial Assistance Fund

NSI Namibia Standards InstitutionNSS Namibia Scientific Society

NSTISNamibian Science, Technology and Innovation System

NTB Namibia Tourism Board

NYCNNational Youth Council of Namibia

OPM Office of the Prime Minister

PETROFUNDPetroleum Training and Education Fund

PhD Doctorate of PhilosophyPON Polytechnic of NamibiaR&D Research and DevelopmentRA Roads Authority

RCC Roads Contractor Company

RSTResearch, Science and Technology

RSTIResearch, Science, Technology and Innovation

S&T Science and Technology

SADCSouthern African Development Community

SEAStrategic Environmental Assessment

SEMPStrategic Environmental Management Plan

SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises SOEs State Owned Enterprises

SOEGCState Owned Enterprises Governance Council

STIScience, Technology and Innovation

SWOTStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

UNAM University of Namibia

UNCCDUnited Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UNESCOUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

V2030 Vision 2030WHK Windhoek

SECTION 1:

BACKGROUND

The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation 3

The NPRSTI has been established under Section 18 of the RST Act of 2004 (Act no. 23 of 2004). The

major objectives of the NPRSTI are to:

• Enhance coordination, thus increasing efficiency in resource use;

• Facilitate scientific human and institutional capacity building;

• Ensure sustained financing of priority R&D projects; and

• Promote science as a preferred area of study.

Building on these objectives is the RST Act of 2004, whose objectives as per Section 2 are to:

• Ensure co-ordination, monitoring and supervision of RST in Namibia;

• Promote and develop RST in Namibia;

• Promote synergy in RST across all relevant disciplines;

• Encourage and promote innovative and independent thinking and optimum development of

intellectual capacity of people in RST;

• Ensure dedicated, prioritised and systematic funding for RST application and development in

Namibia; and

• Promote linkages between Namibia and international institutions and bodies on the development

of RST.

The NPRSTI is premised on Section 18 of the RST Act of 2004 as follows:

“The Commission, once in every three years, or at such other intervals as the Minister may determine,

must prepare a National Programme on RSTI for the following three years, or such other period as

the Minister may determine, which programme aims are to:-

• Set out the national direction on RST for Namibia;

• Review the state of RSTI in Namibia for the previous three years or such other period as has

lapsed between the current national programme and the previous national programme;

C H A P T E R 1 :AIMS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON RSTI

4 The National Programme on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation

• Identify shortcomings and priorities for RSTI;

• Set out the RSTI projects and requirements for such projects of every RSTI organisation, institution

or body in receipt of moneys from the Fund, and includes the Commission’s observations and

recommendations on such projects and requirements in view of the national policy for RSTI;

• Set out the programmes and projects envisaged by the Commission to be undertaken by it or a

council during the period covered by the national programme; and

• Assess the previous national programme.

Therefore the aims of this NPRSTI are:

a) To address challenges and opportunities in the National Innovation System (NIS) by devising

appropriate interventions to improve the RSTI enabling framework in policy areas, human

resources and institutional framework, as essential tools for addressing the needs in the basic

enablers and economic priorities set out in the NDP4.

b) To follow a proactive approach by forecasting future trends and thus employing interventions

in promoting research, science and innovation areas of competitive advantage and national

importance with a long term view.

c) To promote disciplinary integration through the development of relevant inter and multi-

disciplinary science, technology and innovation research, underpinned by the principle of

sustainable development.

d) To emphasise STI in research and its intersection with the economic, environmental and social

aspects of the Namibian society, economic landscapes and the environment, in order to impact

these areas positively and significantly.

Furthermore the Programme will have a strong Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) emphasis via an

operational framework encompassing the identified RSTI indicators, which include the performance

indicators of all policies related to, and interacting with, the RSTI policies and their effects and

impacts on each other. The development of the Programme will be established in parallel with the

process of collecting baseline indicators such as: number of researchers per 100 000 population,

number of research institutions, number of patents per 100 000 population, number of scientific

publications per 100 000 population, etc.


The RST Act of 2004 prescribes that the Programme should cover a 3-year period that should be

approved and endorsed by Cabinet and the National Assembly. As the NCRST is a policy oriented

institution tasked with coordination, guidance, facilitation and monitoring of RSTI activities in

Namibia, the implementation of the Programme activities will be done via all active and operational

players in research, science, technology and innovation sectors on the basis of clear legal and

procedural outlines supported by regulations to avoid confusion and ambiguities in R&D activities.

Through the NPRSTI, the NCRST will attempt to optimise the funnel of RSTI delivery in its aims of

furthering a knowledge based society.

It is important to position the objectives of the NPRSTI within the framework of the overall long-

term development plans derived from V2030. Subsequently, it has become important to highlight

the main principles expressed by the Vision as underlying guiding principles to all national

development endeavours especially the principle of sustainable development. Similarly it is

important to meaningfully integrate the Programme within the framework of the NDP4. Therefore

the aim is to ensure that the Programme addresses priority areas as established in the NDP4 as well

as the V2030, and it is essential to synchronize the objectives of the two “vehicles” in order to ensure

that research, science and innovation interventions address the higher development goals.


N amibia has a GDP of US$ 12.8 billion and a population of around 2.1 million. With this

population living in an area of 824,292 km2, it is one of the most sparsely populated

countries in the world (population density of 2.54 people per km2). Namibia has

a narrow export base, which has made the country susceptible to external shocks caused by the

changing levels of demand. Namibia’s near complete dependence on imported fossil fuels also

characterises the Namibian economy by making it susceptible to price volatility in the oil sector

and related petro-chemical products sectors. With the vast distances to be covered to get to remote

locations in Namibia, oil price changes filter through to the cost of living very significantly.

Over the last decade, the Namibian economy underwent a gradual change within the primary to

secondary and tertiary sectors. For example, the manufacturing and services sectors accounted

for 67% in 2007/08, whereas they accounted for 71% in 2011/2012. The V2030 target for the

manufacturing and services sectors is 80%, with increased contribution expected from the private

sector. The NDP4 acknowledges Namibia’s comparative state of underdevelopment of its S&T sector

despite the country’s excellent environment and resource base to attract and retain a wide range of

technology-based investments and value adding innovations.

The STI system comprises several research institutions, most of which are located in urban centres. Of

all the institutions, 75% are public funded and engaged in public good research, and are concerned

about the promotion, creation, application and regulation of S&T and innovations. They comprise

institutions engaged in policy design and management, national and sectoral S&T planning; R&D

and innovation at different levels in the public and private sectors including higher education,

learning and research, (The University of Namibia -UNAM and the Polytechnic of Namibia -PoN),

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), regulatory and standardization institutions, as well as

regional and international S&T development agencies. In general, private sector-based research and

its contribution to GDP are difficult to establish, mainly because they are predominantly associated

with enterprise production operations, which are kept as industrial secrets. NGOs are significant

contributors to the national S&T system as they are the major utility-providers in the energy,

C H A P T E R 2 :NAMIBIA’S RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SYSTEM


telecommunication and water services sectors. Apart from the mainstream stakeholders, Namibia

has other stakeholders including the legislature that determines the national development direction.

Other stakeholders are: policy designers and policymakers, economic and development planning

institutions that are the architects of the economy, S&T managers and supervisors, knowledge,

technology and innovation generators in the R&D sector, S&T regulatory organs that are responsible

for quality and standardization, industries and enterprises that are central in the application of STI

for production of goods and services, technology promotion and marketing agents, as well as the

regional and international sources of knowledge and technology.

Namibia’s Research and Innovation system is conspicuously fragmented and scattered, with R&D

institutions scattered in different ministries and departments and in semi-autonomous institutions

that have own legal mandates but sometimes lack internal policies to guide their activities. These

institutions execute their functions in isolation. Their mandates and research programmes/activities

lack harmony and the coordination among them requires harmonisation. This stems from the way

that S&T has traditionally been coordinated by individual MOAs. While the institutions have strong

vertical linkages, they have weak or non-existent horizontal linkages to ensure standardized and

timely delivery of research information, knowledge, science and technology to the enterprise sector

and to innovators.

There is a need for deliberate and concerted effort to focus institutions’ collective product delivery

in a predetermined manner to positively impact the economy. Consequently, Government has

enacted the RST Act of 2004 that has established the NCRST with the aim of “consolidating the

management and coordination of RSTI activities in the country”. The context of innovation within

which it is conceived in the Namibian Science, Technology and Innovation System needs to be

understood if it is to be accurately articulated in the NPRSTI. In a broad sense, knowledge creation

and innovation can be seen and translated to encompass circumstances that allow new knowledge

and creative change to emerge in all components of the economy such as systems management,

education, creative art and sport, environmental conservation, and innovations in Namibia’s science

and technology sphere.

Namibia’s R&D system comprises a number of institutions operating under various ministries, in

SOE’s or NGOs. Many of these institutions have high latent research capacity, and their current and

planned research activities have great potential to contribute to the goals and aims of Namibia’s


V2030. Critical constraints in the Namibian STIS therefore lie with how the roles played by the

stakeholders are coordinated to ensure that they are harmonized and executed in tandem with the

common objective of causing research, science, technology and innovation to increase the economic

growth rate and to improve the livelihoods of the Namibian people.

2.1 Developing a National Research and Development (R&D) Strategy

It will be important to have all stakeholders participate in one form or the other in the process

of developing a national R&D strategy for a National Science and Technology Investment Plan2,

to ensure ownership of its content and commitment to its realisation. There is little recorded

information on the levels of financial investment in STI generally and in R&D funding in particular.

There is evidence, however, that the Government of Namibia is the main source of funding through

treasury allocation to individual MOA’s to support science and technology activities within their

respective directorates, institutes or affiliated institutions. Supplementary funding in the form of

project support; contract research or commissioned studies flows from the private sector particularly

NGO’s and international and regional development agencies. It is therefore evident that systematic

planning of financing STI is currently lacking.

2.2: Financing Namibia’s Research and Innovation System

There is a need for a framework for allocating the finances available for research and innovation in

a systematic planned manner, based on predetermined development priorities translated from the

national Vision, the NDP4 and the national as well as relevant sectoral Strategic Plans, and most

importantly, from the NPRSTI.

The Research, Science and Technology (RST Fund) as reflected in the RST Act of 2004 has now been

operationalized and is expected to be a vehicle through which commercial companies, industrial

firms, banks and other private sector institutions and international development partners would

support and complement Government’s efforts toward the development of science, technology and

innovation for Namibia’s economic transformation. It will also be a positive regulatory mechanism

for prioritizing research in the country.

2 The National Science and Technology Investment Plan is planned within the context of the commitment of 0,3% of GDP spending on R&D in support of RSTI through NDP4


2.3: Intellectual property Rights (IPR)

There appears to be no current framework for the management of intellectual property rights (IPR)

and ethical regulations. The NCRST together with the newly established Business and Intellectual

Property Agency (BIPA) need to work closely together to establish an IPR framework in consultation

with institutions and individuals whose inventions and innovations will require protection; whether

in the process of technology transfer, or in the case of local scientific discoveries and technological

innovations. The seeding, nurturing and protection of ideas and innovations through adequate

knowledge management and distribution are crucial components of a knowledge-based economy

to ensure it aligns with the national R&D strategy.

2.4: Governance

Across the increasingly complex innovation landscape, developing effective governance requires

better co-ordination at, between, and among the local, national, regional and international levels.

With the broadening of innovative processes, players and locations, the systems of governance

that provide for their proper functioning and coordination become even more important. As no

single “actor” has the knowledge and resources to tackle the innovation challenge unilaterally, all

countries –in one way or another– face the task of better co-ordinating actors in formulating and

implementing policies. In the next sections, an attempt has been made to identify opportunities and

strengths that could be exploited to harness RSTI as well as the weaknesses and threats that should

be addressed for RSTI to claim its role in addressing socio-economic development in Namibia.


I n order to fully understand the RSTI landscape in Namibia, a SWOT Analysis was performed

as outlined in Table 1. This provides a framework for developing strategies and initiatives that

could harness and strengthen Namibia’s RSTI system in its quest to becoming a knowledge-

based society.

Table 1: Identified Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and ThreatsNo. Strengths No. Weaknesses

1 Political and macro-economic stability 1 The legal and policy framework for RSTI is outdated

2 Excellent communication infrastructure 2 Low investment in innovative capacity building activities

3 Investment in, and development of human resource capacity through education and training

3 Shortage of professional, skilled and semi-skilled human resources

4 Membership with international organisations 4 Narrow economy which is mainly based on exploitation of natural resources

5 Institutions that are researching, developing and adapting technologies for application in Namibia

5 Fragmented research and innovation system. RSTI activities are not properly coordinated, streamlined or properly targeted.

6 Quality of the institutional environment and infrastructure development

6 No reliable information system/platform regarding the STI resources

7 The operationalization of the RST Fund is a positive regulatory mechanism for prioritizing research in Namibia

7 Indigenous knowledge is largely disregarded in RSTI

8 The country is endowed with natural resources

8 Limited national infrastructure for RSTI

9 Highly profitable and well capitalized financial sector

9 Lack of awareness of the importance of RSTI

10 Independent judiciary system 10 Industrial sector is quite small11 Lack of incentives and recognition for good

innovations and technologies

C H A P T E R 3 :ANALYSIS OF STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT)


No. Opportunities No. Threats

1 New technologies , new skills and innovative entrepreneurship potential 1 Destabilising armed conflicts in the region

and beyond2 Foreign direct investment 2 Regional power imbalances

3 New developments in communication technology 3 Exclusion from the benefits of globalisation

4 Development of new infrastructure to increase Namibia’s RSTI capacity 4 HIV/AIDS epidemic

5 Potential for international collaboration and involvement of foreign partners 5 Land degradation and desertification

6RST Fund can be a gateway for industry, private sector and international development partners to support STI

6 Skills emigration or “brain drain”

7 Potential for collaboration through regional integration 7 Depletion and degradation of water and

aquatic resources

8 Opportunities for research in new emerging areas 8 Poverty

The above identified SWOTS are further elaborated below.

Namibia’s RSTI Strengths

a) Political and Macro-economic stability. The investment climate has been favourable due to

political and macroeconomic stability which has attracted foreign direct investment into the

economy, thus bringing new technologies and new skills to the country.

b) Excellent communication infrastructure. Namibia’s ICT infrastructure provides an opportunity

for technology advancement particularly in support of other economic sectors.

c) Human Resource Development. The development of Namibia’s human resource capacity

through education and training has been a priority over the years. In recent years, the Government

of Namibia has invested heavily in primary, secondary and adult literacy education. This has

been further articulated in the National Human Resource Development Plan (NHRDP).

d) Membership with international organisations and potential for international collaboration.

For small countries like Namibia, the process of innovation and technology development

depends critically on its links with the rest of the world. Namibia’s membership to international

organisations could facilitate its access to globally available knowledge and technology.


Additionally, sector specific bilateral agreements have been signed between Namibia and other

countries for mutual benefit in RSTI.

e) Institutions that are researching, developing and adapting technologies for application in

Namibia. Namibia has a number of institutions tasked with researching, developing and/or

adapting technologies for application in Namibia. These include MOA’s involved in higher

education; public sector research and technology institutions; as well as SOE’s. Namibia’s RSTI

capacity will be strengthened through the establishment of Namibia´s first RSTI Valley during

the implementation period of this NPRSTI as well as capacitating the existing facilities.

f) Quality of the institutional environment and infrastructure development. The institutional

policy framework has been developed. This includes the RST Science Act of 2004 and relevant

regulations.

g) The operationalization of the Research, Science and Technology Fund is a positive regulatory

mechanism for prioritizing research in Namibia. Having funds that are particularly dedicated

to RST is expected to lead a large number of people into the RST mainstream. A dedicated fund

is also attractive for resource partners, particularly within the development community and the

private sector as it is a vehicle for mobilising specific targeted resources.

h) The country is endowed with natural resources. Over 50% of Namibia’s total export value is

derived from natural resources such as mining, fisheries and agricultural products.

i) Highly profitable and well capitalized financial sector. Namibia’s financial system continues

to be stable and adequately capitalised with all banking institutions reporting capital in excess

of minimum regulatory requirements and conforming to regulatory limits. Namibia’s financial

sector is providing fair access to savings products, transaction services, access to credit facilities

and investment options. Private sector credit extension remains active.

j) Independent judiciary system. Namibia’s constitution provides for the establishment of the

judiciary. Judicial powers are vested in the Courts of Namibia and consist of a Supreme Court, a

High Court and Lower Courts. The Courts are independent and subject only to the Constitution

and the law.


Namibia’s RSTI Weaknesses

Amidst the opportunities and strengths mentioned above, it is important to recognise that Namibia

also faces numerous challenges, which need to be tackled head- on to allow for RSTI advancement.

These include:

a) Legal and policy framework for RSTI is outdated. The legislative and policy framework

covering RSTI is outdated both in terms of creating an enabling environment and also in ensuring

adherence to ethical principles in conducting and in the application of STI. The RST Act of 2004

requires review.

b) Low investment in innovative capacity building activities. Although there is good evidence

to support the focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for employment creation

through various programs such as business training and improving access to finance, markets,

business information, and business premises; the main policy instruments have so far been a

small business loan scheme and a credit guarantee scheme, both targeting SMEs. No attempt is

made to introduce incentives to promote innovation or partnership with the academic and other

sectors. As a result, the innovative capability of Namibia remains low and the country continues

to depend on imported technologies with very little adaptation and innovation involved.

c) Shortage of professional, skilled and semi-skilled human resources. Namibia finds itself in

a situation that is similar to many other developing countries where the availability of human

resources required for the transformation of the economy is a major constraint. There are

shortages of professionals, skilled and semi-skilled human resources including managerial and

entrepreneurial skills across all sectors of the economy. As a result, shortage of skilled human

resources should be addressed by all sectors that are providing goods and services to the nation.

d) Narrow economy which is mainly based on exploitation of natural resources. Namibia’s

narrow economy which is mainly based on the exploitation of natural resources has been an

impediment to expand opportunities in other sectors through technological innovation.

e) Fragmented research and innovation system. RSTI activities in Namibia are highly fragmented,

scattered over several institutions, and are without proper coordination, streamlining or proper


targeting. The linkage between key actors in knowledge or innovation system such as the link

between the research community, public research institutions, universities, industries and users

is minimal. Moreover, research collaboration with other countries or institutions that have the

requisite capacity and facilities has not been fully exploited.

f) No reliable information system/platform regarding STI resources. At present, Namibia

does not have any reliable information system on STI policies and policy instruments; R&D

and innovation indicators; inventory of facilities, laboratories and instruments for research;

information about the existing R&D projects performed at the public, private and non-profit

sectors. The country also does not have any inventory of firms that have the potential to produce

research and undertake innovation activities, and does not have any database on RSTI human

resources. Without an adequate information platform, it will be very difficult to formulate,

implement or monitor any STI policy. The development of evidence-based policy requires

adequate indicators as they allow adequate monitoring of activities and programmes, evaluation

of RSTI performance over time and against other countries, conducting of foresight exercises,

determination of specific areas of investment, and setting up of targets. Namibia needs to deploy

greater efforts to create a record of science, technology and innovation resources in the country

in order to better inform policy and decision making.

g) Indigenous knowledge remains largely disregarded. Namibia is yet to fully embrace the

potential of indigenous knowledge which is developed over centuries of learning from the

environment; its role in transforming and modifying technologies to suit local conditions

and the local context; its role in the development of indigenous home-grown technologies.

It is important to ensure that indigenous knowledge is properly documented, protected and

efficiently managed. This could be achieved by ensuring that indigenous knowledge finds the

right place in RSTI strategies.

h) Limited National infrastructure for RSTI. In order to achieve her ambitious goals espoused in

V2030, NDP4 and other frameworks, Namibia needs to significantly increase efforts in research,

development and innovative activities. To this end, the establishment of national facilities that

would allow access to RSTI is required.

i) Lack of awareness of the importance of RSTI. Lack of awareness compounded by limited


communication capacity, idea sharing, and research collaboration has negatively affected the

circulation and sharing of knowledge through communities and between communities to the

degree it should.

j) Industrial sector is quite small. Currently there is no national R&D strategy, therefore

Namibia as a country with small economy, needs to identify natural resources around which

have competitive advantages, and around which a National R&D strategy can be developed.

The National R&D strategy will further enable a National S&T Investment Plan, which clearly

underlines R&D investment areas.

k) Lack of incentives and recognition for good innovations and technologies. There is currently

no framework for forward and backward linkages for innovation and value addition. In addition,

no attempt has been made to introduce incentives to promote innovation or partnership with the

academic sector. As a result, the innovative capability of Namibia remains low and the country

continues to depend on imported technologies with very little adaptation and innovation involved.

Namibia’s RSTI Opportunities

a) New technologies and new skills and innovative entrepreneurship potential. Development

of new technologies for application in the Namibian sectors of priority, supported by the

existing academic and industrial base will allow for the creation of new economic activities and

jobs. Moreover, promotion of new innovative start-ups open to the Namibian, regional and

international markets will also offer additional perspectives for skilled persons, namely the

graduates from Namibian educational institutions.

b) Foreign Direct Investment. A solid foundation for democracy, good governance, peace

and stability ensure that Namibia’s investment climate remains favourable. This is strongly

supported by an enabling regulatory environment facilitated by ongoing marketing efforts.

These efforts are aimed at ensuring that Namibia has a fair share of regional and global Foreign

Direct Investment flows.

c) New developments in communication technologies. The global economy is currently dependant

and shaped by the benefits arising from ICT. Namibia recognises the need to be part of this

global information society. As such, Namibia, through its various ICT players has positioned


itself to develop and promote ICT growth to become the main pillar of economic development

in Namibia and for new development in communication technology to particularly contribute to

economic growth, industrial development and poverty eradication.

d) Development of new infrastructure to increase Namibia’s RSTI capacity. In order to achieve

the strategic invention as set out in this NPRSTI, there is a need to create a conducive enabling

environment in the form of infrastructure development. The NCRST envisages the development

of various National RSTI Valley hosting various facilities, including the National Genetically

Modified Organism Testing Centre, a Training and Research facility; National Innovation

Hub (NIH); National Space Science and Technology Centre/Council and the National Science

Demonstration Centre.

e) RST Fund can be a gateway for industry, private sector and international development

partners to support STI. Mobilisation of financial resources for research, whether public or

private is essential in ensuring that research and innovation is securely funded. This in turn will

ensure that the NPRST is able to meet its high level objectives. The promotion of research and

innovation activities will consider recommending both financial and non-financial incentives in

order to boost interest particularly from the private sector, to invest in R&D.

f) Potential for collaboration through regional integration. Enhanced participation of Namibian

researchers and firms in regional and international programmes and projects will contribute to

the upgrading of their qualifications and possibilities of reinforcement of national capacities. In

addition, engagement of foreign companies in supporting the industrialisation of the country is to

be strongly encouraged, especially in the fields where there is national innovative potential ready

to get involved.

g) Opportunities for research in new emerging areas. For most researchers, research is seen as a

stimulating intellectual pursuit which adds to the sum of knowledge in various sectors. Today,

research is essential for Nations that wish to build robust economies and to sustain good quality

of life for their communities and people. New opportunities in RSTI are therefore crucial in

ensuring transformation of the Namibian economy.


Namibia’s RSTI Threats

a) Destabilising armed conflicts in the region and beyond. The Southern African Development

Community (SADC) has evolved in the context of a rapidly changing and unstable regional

political environment which was previously dominated by apartheid in some instances and civil

wars in others. Conflicts of this nature pose a severe challenge to institutional and economic

resources, government capacity to prevent and counter related threats, the rule of law as well

as overall stability and security in the region, and should be avoided. Therefore, as a signatory

to SADC and other Regional Organisations, Namibia must at all times, position herself in

supporting the elimination of such threats.

b) Regional power imbalances. Absent or weak legal and institutional frameworks within the

region prevent the coherent drive of the RSTI policy integration process. Through platforms

such as the AU Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) as well as the NEPAD

African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative (ASTII), which are continental

development agendas that are able to redress regional RSTI power imbalances among and

between countries, including Namibia.

c) Exclusion from the benefits of globalisation. The ability for the Namibian nation to position

itself to benefit from globalisation is key to economic transformation in the RSTI arena. Namibia

therefore needs to secure its position in the globalized world through the correct partnerships

and by implementing progressive strategies to ensure beneficiation.

d) HIV/AIDS epidemic. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is known to have far reaching effects ranging

from being a public health challenge to complex social issues. This in turn affects economic

performance negatively from a macroeconomic (business) and microeconomic (small enterprise)

perspective. The challenge is for RSTI to raise increased awareness to combat the HIV/AIDS

epidemic through information sharing and outreach.

e) Land degradation and desertification. During September 2013,Namibia held the eleventh

session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) on the United Nations Convention to Combat


Desertification (UNCCD) where Member States, Inter-governmental organisations, civil society

organisations and other organisations (with observer status) were called upon to commit to

enhance sustainable land management improve livelihoods especially at the local level. Based

on the deliberations, the Government of Namibia declared, amongst others, to advance the

science-policy interface by increased use of science and research-based solutions for improving

land degradation and desertification.

f) Skills emigration or the “brain drain. “Skills emigration or “brain drain” is affecting Namibia

much like it affects the rest of the Region. In order to maintain a skills base, there is a need to

develop workable retention strategies to ensure that skilled people are attracted to stay at home.

In the absence of a strategy, the temptation to recruit replacement skills from neighbouring

countries becomes irresistible.

g) Depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources. Namibia is an arid country, where

water scarcity and growing water demand limits socio-economic development. Namibia’s

water and aquatic resources provide essential services, natural capital and generic resources that

buffer the Nation against economic uncertainty, disease and environmental change. A majority

of rural Namibians rely heavily on water and aquatic resources for their livelihoods. To avoid

the high costs associated with wetland degradation, Namibia needs to develop and implement

appropriate cross-sectoral policies and legislation.

h) Poverty. Poverty is recognised worldwide as one of the challenges facing several countries,

including Namibia. Poverty is a key indicator of economic progress and social inclusion.

Therefore the focus on RSTI should be to redress the issues faced by the poorest segment of

Namibia’s population.

SECTION 2:

NATIONAL RSTI STRATEGY


T his three-year NPRSTI is strongly anchored on NDP4 and clearly sets out the targets in

terms of where Namibia needs to be in three years’ time –an agreement on what Namibia

will have accomplished by 2017. The RSTI Strategy is oriented to approach overall goals

of the NPRSTI, which according to the current situation of the NIS, as well as the threats and

opportunities it confronts, have been set as follows:

• Development of basic enablers, through improving capacities and skills for research and

innovation and creating the required RSTI infrastructure in a strong institutional environment.

• Promote innovation-driven social and economic development, addressing national priority

sectors in agriculture, manufacturing and services, as well as social needs, paving the way for a

knowledge-based economy.

The goals envisioned by the NPRSTI would only be realized if the Government invests in R&D, in

specific research programmes as identified under the national thematic priorities. In line with the

NHRDP, a commitment is made to increase the number of scientists and engineers, both in general

and in areas offering the most economic potential over the long term. This investment in human

capital would certainly serve Namibia’s needs well into the future. Efforts have been made to target

key priority sectors, which have high potential, especially in reducing Namibia’s dependence on

imported technology, and increasing the ability towards self-sufficiency in basic commodities such

as energy and food.

Even when research and technology development is not always aimed at resolving the needs of the

economy or alleviating poverty, the NPRSTI will be focused on demand and user oriented research,

looking towards adding value to the economy and the society, and leaving some room and space for

independent creation.

Furthermore, through cooperation in applied research between institutions, namely universities,

industries as well as final users, together with knowledge transfer processes and innovation will

result in new and upgraded products, in productive processes, and in new solutions to societal

challenges.


Through the National RSTI strategy, the NCRST will strive to create an enabling environment

aligned with national policy documents; building on the prospects and possibilities of the private

sector emerging from RSTI, and on issues related to gender and to vulnerable populations, as well

as building on recognized and existing research experiences.

The NCRST will follow a systemic approach based on the collaboration and coordination of the

efforts of all stakeholders, supporting the creation of partnerships both at local, regional and

international levels, while mobilising. When possible, sharing the available resources, both human

and infrastructure, together with the financial means supported by the RST Fund and other sectorial

public sources, altogether with private and international programmes.


T he key objective of this NPRSTI is to provide national strategic direction in RSTI with an

emphasis on establishing and strengthening a national system of innovation that would foster

the transformation to a knowledge-based society. It sets out direction for a future in which

Namibian has an advanced RSTI capability that can be deployed to effectively address our socio-economic

challenges, ranging from food security, health, developing sustainable energy solutions; industrialization

and promoting competitiveness. The approach of the RSTI Programme is to address the aim of creating a

strong, interlinked and sustainable national research and innovation system, involving all the actors from

academia to industry and civil society. Therefore a coherent national strategic approach of managing the

development, application and commercialization of scientific, technological and innovative knowledge

needs to be created. Such a framework approach or National Innovation System (NIS), consisting of inter-

active activities of various actors will prove the RSTI sector, proved to be the basic determinant of a successful

economy which Namibia wants to emulate. For Namibia it is clear that the road to Vision 2030 needs to be

supported by a vibrant and coherent national innovation system with clear benchmarking indicators.

Information from the World Bank show scarce reliability or results for Namibia3, which outlines the

importance of creating a sound series of innovation indicators to support planning and comparison

in the international space. Out of this limited available information, some reference figures have been

set as targets for 2017 after 3 years of development of the National Programme as presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Namibia’s RSTI targets for 2017Research and Innovation Indicators Targets 2017

Gross expenditure on R&D / GDP 0.3%

Number of researchers - Total headcount 1000

Number of researchers - Full Time Equivalent (FTE) 500

Number of researchers / 1000 Labour force 5

Number of PhD graduates in natural science and technologies / yr. 20

Number of scientific publications 2000

Number of patents filed by residents 20

Manufacturing exports / total exports 25%

High-tech exports / manufacturing exports 10%

Percent of workforce employed in the knowledge based-jobs 5%

3 E. g. 2% for high-tech exports vs. manufacturing exports (World Bank, 2011)

C H A P T E R 4 :TARGETS


T he strategy to achieve the NPRSTI objectives based on the analysis of strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats of research and innovation in Namibia being presented in Table

3, has been formulated to address the identified challenges. This has been highlighted

under the five main RSTI strategic priorities towards making an impact in the medium and long-

term.

1. Priority 1: Creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment: Consolidation of the

institutional policies, the regulatory framework including ethical and intellectual property

issues and governance will support the development of promotional and financial instruments

formulated to address the provision of resources for research activities, on the assumption that

they are limited; therefore they need to be prioritized.

2. Priority 2: Building research capacities and technical skills: Building research capacities

together with researchers’ mobility and attractiveness will not be enough, therefore technical

and research managerial skills are to be created for efficient running of projects and facilities.

Correspondingly, provision of infrastructure should be planned, under a rationale of centralisation

and optimisation of means.

3. Priority 3: Promoting cooperation in research and innovation activities: Cooperation at every

level will provide opportunities to better deal with the country’s challenges, be it when research-

industry collaboration is concerned, or in case of either interdisciplinary or inter-institutional

research activities. In all cases the NCRST can act as a collaborative platform. Additionally,

enhancing regional and international research cooperation will be institutionally supported.

4. Priority 4: Disseminating scientific and technological knowledge: Extension of the

understanding of the role of science and technology to the wider public or specific audiences

in Namibia will go together with the dissemination of knowledge and research results, as well

as their impact concerning national objectives. Enabling easy access to scientific publications

and reports is to be accompanied by a communication oriented strategy to raise public interest

particularly among the youth.

C H A P T E R 5 :STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

5. Priority 5: Promoting innovation

in the economic and social sectors:

The NPRSTI will address innovation

as the right approach to advance

the industrialisation of the country,

boosting mid- and long-term

development towards a knowledge

based economy, through both

supporting knowledge transfer to the

private and entrepreneurial sector,

as well as supplying human and

financial resources for integrating the

culture and practice of innovation in

the socio-economic environment.

The five Strategic Priorities are supported

by a total of ten specific objectives, each

with expected outputs to be achieved

by 2017 through a concise set of well-

defined initiatives.

The whole ensemble of strategic

priorities, specific objectives and

initiatives is presented in Table 3. In the

table, the 5 strategic priorities and their

specific objectives have been listed. The

initiatives to be undertaken under each

specific objective have also been listed.


Table 3: The NPRSTI’s Strategic Priorities and Implementation InitiativesPriority 1: Creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment Specific Objective 1: Facilitate an enabling regulatory environment

1.1: Develop and review policies and legal framework to strengthen the NIS1.2: Undertake a thorough mapping exercise of the research and innovation system1.3: Establish the RSTI indicators and data gathering procedures 1.4: Establish an RSTI national platform and information management system Specific Objective 2: Set research priorities in strategic areas ensuring adequate funding

2.1: Development and implementation of national research priorities 2.2: Set up stable financing mechanisms and procedures to manage the RST FundPriority 2: Building research capacities and technical skills Specific Objective 3: Build human resources capacity

3.1: Strengthen RSTI training at all levels of the education system 3.2: Develop a support framework for post-graduate and doctoral education 3.3: Development of research units as well as training of research technicians and expertsSpecific Objective 4: Develop a national strategy for RSTI infrastructure

4.1: Conduct a needs analysis for accessing research infrastructure 4.2: Earmark funding to finance research infrastructure 4.3: Adopt a policy of open access and networking infrastructure Priority 3: Promoting cooperation in research and innovation activities Specific Objective 5: Establish and strengthen linkages between stakeholders

5.1: Strengthen the NCRST’s capacity to coordinate RSTI policies and programs5.2: Develop a framework for establishing linkages among institutions locally Specific Objective 6: Promote regional and international cooperation

6.1: Strengthen collaboration with regional and international institutions6.2: Invest in targeted bilateral cooperation efforts6.3: Consolidate communities of Namibian RSTI professionals in foreign countriesPriority 4: Disseminating scientific and technological knowledgeSpecific Objective 7: Public support to researchers’ results

7.1: Promote dissemination and publication of research results7.2: Establish a reward and recognition system for RSTI achievers and achievementsSpecific Objective 8: Promote public awareness on the importance of RSTI

8.1: Develop and implement programmes to the public about the importance of the RSTI 8.2: Implement specific programmes addressed to specific decision-makers’ communitiesPriority 5: Promoting innovation in the economic and social sectorsSpecific Objective 9: Promote knowledge transfer towards final users

9.1: Promotion of private-public research cooperation projects 9.2: Promote the application and commercialization of results and products of research9.3: Promotion of technological services and innovation networks9.4: Facilitate the establishment of technology-based enterprisesSpecific Objective 10: Provide basic resources for innovation

10.1: Develop a framework to support industry fellowship schemes 10.2: Financial incentives for innovation10.3: Establish a Innovation Hub


PRIORITY 1: CREATING AN ENABLING POLICY AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

REQUIRED TO FRAME AND SUPPORT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

The NPRSTI is addressing country’s priorities in a changing environment; therefore a policy review

mechanism is needed for taking into consideration the changes that have occurred. A stronger

involvement of stakeholders, particularly the ministries, public institutions, industries and the

society at large participating through the existing frame for RSTI governance, which has the NCRST

at its core, will result in an enhanced NIS. The NIS will therefore become capable of updating policy

approaches, regulations and the institutional framework itself, allowing the creation of suitable

instruments to deal with key issues such as science ethics and IPR.

To achieve the objective of establishing a programme to promote research activities, it is important to

understand and outline the focus on innovation or demand driven research and to align these with

the identified national priorities. This also means that fundamental research is not excluded, more

so when basic science not only is at the basis of applied research but has quite often been viewed as

having a determinant role in research fields or projects driven by productive or social needs.

Thematic areas for research, oriented to national goals were prioritized after an analysis of their

importance towards achieving Namibia’s goals, the existing research capacities, and the broad

participation of stakeholders within the system. Thematic areas include Manufacturing, Agriculture,

Natural Resources (water and sanitation, fisheries, earth sciences), Energy, ICT and Social Sciences

as cross-cutting disciplines addressing social and economic priorities and strengthening the

research element in social projects. Strategic development in indigenous knowledge also appears

as a cross-cutting thematic area. The thematic priorities are to be revisited at the drawing of each

RSTI Programme within future 5-year cycles, such as the NDP. The three year cycle for the current

Programme will consider the sustainability of research fields and groups planned long-term.

Mobilisation of financial resources for research, namely public resources under the RST Fund

or Ministries’ budget, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), private sector and donors’ funds will be

addressed to take research and innovation in Namibia to a higher level according to the Programme’s

targets. The promotion of research and innovation activities will consider incentives, whether

financial or non-financial, to encourage the university, public and private sector research institutions

and organisations to look towards the translational aspect and the impact generated.


Specific Objective 1: Facilitate an enabling regulatory environment

With the last RST’s Policy having been formulated in 1999 and the subsequent enabling Act enacted

in 2004, it is evident that there are certain policy challenges compounded by the current and emerging

issues. These are affecting our economy and society, and could become critical, therefore significantly

impacting our day-to-day lives, influencing our well-being and quality of life. Outdated policy and

legislation could seriously hamper overall RSTI impact e.g. our efforts to harness opportunities for

enhancing our quality of life through advancements in biotechnology, ICT and nanotechnology.

With the implementation of this NPRSTI, we are presented with opportunities to formulate and

design evidence-based and robust RSTI related policies and legislation that would guide investments

in science, research and innovation during this NPRSTI and NDP 4; and beyond paying the

necessary attention to align the strategies of the different stakeholders. This will enable a thorough

understanding of the programme requirements and priorities and the enabling legislative and

policy frameworks that will ensure optimal impact. Implementation of policies will be upgraded

with strong RSTI institutions that are avoiding duplication of responsibilities, providing guarantees

to the actors of research and innovation, and creating an efficient frame for the participation of

stakeholders, as well as a balanced RSTI governance scheme. In view of the above, the following

initiatives shall be carried out:

Initiative 1.1: Develop and review policies and the legal framework to strengthen the

national research and innovation system

Armed with the output of the comprehensive review of the RSTI landscape and the benchmarking

project, Namibia will be in a good position to initiate and review of the RST Policy formulated in 1999

and the subsequent enabling RST Act of 2004. In formulating the new Policy and Act, efforts will be

made to ensure that the enabling legislative and policy frameworks will encourage investments in

R&D, both from the public and private sector, with the view of making desired impact.

Coordination of the operation of the STI institutions will be addressed, as well as the objective

of ensuring a framework for the development and application of STI in accordance with ethical

principles. In addition, the establishment of the National Council on Research Ethics and acceptable

ethical codes of conduct for RSTI and thepromotion of the IPR will be addressed.


Once the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) Council is established, together with the NCRST and

other stakeholders shall formulate policies, regulations and programmes aimed at promoting the

indigenous knowledge in Namibia. The legal and regulatory framework shall provide a systematic

way for benefit sharing, resource exploitation and utilisation, intellectual property ownership,

and technology adoption and adaptation. The NCRST shall develop a framework to promote and

popularize these technologies within the communities using appropriate media.

Initiative 1.2: Undertake a thorough mapping exercise of the research and innovation system

A detailed account of the features of the NIS will includemapping of the contextual factors of

the Namibian political structure, basic socio-economic (economy, demography, manpower) and

environmental characteristics; the RSTI policies and their stages from design, decision-making,

implementation and evaluation; legal regulations, and the existing promotional and operational

instruments (funds, and programmes addressed to support different types of beneficiaries). With

the aim of identifying who is doing what and where, existing gaps; and promotion of networking,

interdisciplinary and international cooperation. At implementation level, the NIS mapping will

be completed with imput from the various actors involved in scientific research, together with

technological development and productive and innovative activities. Easy public access and

updating will be catered for, in order to achieve maximum usefulness.

Initiative 1.3: Establish the indicators and data gathering procedures required to effectively

inform RSTI development

The current availability of RSTI data in Namibia requires improvement. . The NCRST shall therefore

carry out research to establish the RSTI indicators for Namibia according to international and

regional practices following the conventions and signed agreements. This means that a definition

of the indicators and methodologies to apply needs to be established, with the close cooperation

with the National Statistical Agency (NSA) and other official institutions. At the first stage, standard

indicators on the basic inputs on the Namibian research (e.g. R&D expenditure, numberof researchers

etc.) will be elaborated, followed by output indicators (e.g. publications, patents etc.) and innovation

indicators.


Indicators on research and innovation in Namibia will allow future setting up of very specific targets

as well as carrying out benchmarking studies comparing Namibia’s RSTI policies and performance

with those of other countries.

Initiative 1.4: Establish a national platform on RSTI and on Information management

System for decision support and performance monitoring

Currently, there is a severe lack of data to sufficiently understand the RSTI landscape in Namibia

and its meaningful contribution to the realisation of a knowledge-based society. It is therefore

important to establish a meaningful, appropriate and robust system for monitoring and evaluating

research, sciences proliferation, RSTI development and innovation at all levels in order to ensure

that public funds for research, development and innovation are suitably focused and aligned with

development and value-addition considerations and are being efficiently used. This effort can be

supported through the use of an Information Management System,together with a researchers’

portals and websites for public institutions that are still ongoing and remain to be fully embraced

by all institutions.

The NCRST will facilitate the establishment of a national RSTI information management centre,

which will serve as a source and repository of information that is relevant to the making of policies

and decisions on S&T related matters. The centre shall provide an interface between three major

groups of players in the S&T system; namely, the policy making and research funding organisations,

researchers and research product users. Scientific and technological services provided by the centre

will include:

• Development and maintenance of an on-line S&T database

• National S&T indicators’ development and forecasting (status, trends and future directions)

• National research and development survey data

• Public awareness of S&T survey data

• RSTI performance indicators

Specific Objective2: Set research priorities in strategic areas to contribute to national development

ensuring adequate and sustainable funding to support RSTI development

The NCRST in consultation with all sectors of research and the economy has spearheaded the

development of national research priorities. The priorities are derived from the NDP4, the Industrial


Policy, relevant sectorial policies and other strategic plans. Integration of research incentives and

enhanced multidisciplinary research will be promoted so as to have an increasing impact.

Initiative 2.1: Development and implementation of national research priorities

The NCSRT in consultation with stakeholders and all economic sectors will (i) facilitate and promote

the use of research results for decision support in business and public policy; (ii) promote increased

support to policy-oriented research conducted by academic and research, and development

institutions, and (iii) further increase the involvement and dissemination of research results to policy

makers, planners and entrepreneurs. Care will be taken about the African context as to screen the

thematic areas which will later on facilitate cooperation at theregional level. .

Initiative 2.2: Setting up of stable research financing and procedures to manage the RST Fund

A clear commitment has been demonstrated by the Government of Namibia to support RSTI as

shown under the NDP 4, where a target of 0.3% of GDP spending on R&D has been set. This is in

recognition of the importance of RSTI in accelerating socio-economic development. Although there

are no clear data on the level of funding on R&D in Namibia at the moment, the committed 0.3% of

GDP will be below the 1% of GDP target set under the SADC Protocol on Science and Technology,

and although it is a first step, it might not be adequate for accelerated development or a meaningful

contribution to NDP 4 and Vision 2030. Therefore in order to ensure that adequate levels of funding

are secured, the following initiatives shall be implemented over the next three years.

The NCRST has established a National RST Fund to support local research and innovations as

required in terms of the RST Act. For this fund to make a meaningful impact, it must be well

capitalized through a budgetary appropriation. The Fund will support investments in research

and innovation that have demonstrated potentials to generate significant and sustainable National

economic, social and environmental benefits. In order to account for the spending on R&D especially

from government sources, it might be necessary to consolidate the current STI financing mechanisms

and other ad-hoc sector support instruments into a single, coherent, consistent and sustainable STI

funding instrument. Private sector may also contribute to the research activities financed by the

Fund and to the rewards for those willing to be involved in research will be encouraged. RSTI

grants will be awarded to eligible research institutions and to formally constituted research teams.


These will be accessed on a competitive basis to promote scientific excellence as provided for under

the NCRST funding mechanism, following fair and qualified evaluation procedures. The fund will

support research and the implementation of priorities identified in the NPRSTI.

PRIORITY 2: BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNICAL

SKILLS WHILE CREATING RESEARCH GROUPS WITH A CRITICAL MASS TO GUARANTEE

THE STRENGTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SYSTEM

Endowing the NIS with the basic research capacities constitutes the core of the NPRSTI and will

need to address the training of university graduates to become qualified researchers through post-

graduate education, namely involving the attainment of a PhD. A strategic aspect to consider will be

specifically to support women to conduct research and advance in their scientific careers.

Design of promotional initiatives to facilitate regional and international mobility will facilitate

the future researchers’ career development scheme. This will involve involving a creation of the

right opportunities for integration in the Namibian academic, public and entrepreneurial scheme;


following regular evaluation of performance and outcomes provided under well-established criteria

on publications, research cooperation and exploitation of research results.

Promoting the consolidation of existing or emerging research units on specific topics or lines of

research, with the critical mass to guarantee sustainability will ensure the development of a sound

research system in which strategic fields of research will have guaranteed high level of research

continuity. The creation of an enabling environment for research and innovation will also require

the existence of training schemes for technical personnel on laboratory techniques and quality

management. In view of an enabling environment for research and innovation, the NCRST is s

looking forward to the creation of research institutions and some positions for technicians to be in

charge of research projects management and knowledge transfer, who will be trained to obtain the

required skills.

Specific Objective 3: Building human resources capacity and ensuring alignment to support RSTI

development while consolidating and qualifying research management

Without highly qualified human resources, it is unlikely that R&D would lead towards a knowledge-

based society. It is therefore necessary to establish a system that would support researchers, while

at the same time investing in students who would eventually become future researchers. As

tomorrow’s researchers, young people need to be attracted and retained in RSTI by being exposed

to entrepreneurship possibilities and skills to enable them to think strategically and to exploit

opportunities and knowledge. Namibia’s long-term capacity to innovate and the quality of its

research depend on such investments in bringing science, technology and innovation closer to young

people. The importance of investing in human capital has been duly recognized within the National

HRDP as efforts will be placed on the development of a critical mass of knowledgeable workers.

Although the national HDRP outlines the investments required to develop Namibia’s human

capital in key areas. There is a need to place emphasis on sustained investments in human capital

at all levels of education from primary through to secondary, university (doctoral and post-doc)

and lifelong learning. Further investments are required to sustain and consolidate achievements to

date and to ensure investments are taking place all along the education chain so that existing gaps

are bridged. Due to the absence of relevant data, there are several gaps in our understanding of

the science, education, and research and innovation system. This calls for the need to establish the


capacity required to help build policies based on evidence, which truly address the country’s needs.

Long-term studies are required, which will take into account the demographics, trends in education,

employment as well as poverty, all of which will impact on the research and innovation ecosystem.

Initiative 3.1: Strengthening of RSTI training at all levels of Namibia’s education system

The teaching of science at all levels of the education system shall be geared toward producing

professionals who are able to address the needs of a growing economy. This will require a concerted

effort from those involved in the designing of the curricula from primary to secondary levels as

well as for the tertiary educational institutions. Furthermore, collaboration of science teachers at

secondary level shall be actively sought in order to share methodologies and practices in developing

creativity and scientific in learning.

Initiative 3.2: Develop a support framework for post-graduate and doctoral schemes in the

areas of national priority

Tertiary institutions shall be encouraged to mount postgraduate programmes in the identified

priority areas. Funding agency such the NCRST and the Namibia Student Financial Assistance

Fund (NSFAF) shall develop a joint program to fund research fellowships for postgraduate students.

The programme will include a support framework for local researchers’ mobility to build and sustain

an international profile, which facilitates collaboration with foreign partners through schemes such

as co-directed doctoral thesis of research projects. The scheme will be complemented with provisions

for attraction to research institutions and universities of external talent or visiting researchers in

focused areas. This will help the young researchers to benefit from the knowledge and experiences

of senior researchers through proper mentorship programs. Fellowships for academic researchers

to join innovative enterprises will also be developed under the specific objective of providing basic

resources for innovation.

Namibia should identify countries which could possibly carry out joint research related to priority

areas. Initiatives aimed at fostering and promoting such collaborations will be instituted and

supported with appropriate incentives.


Initiative 3.3: Development of research units as well as training of research technicians and

experts

Increasing research activities will be required from research centres and institutions to upgrade

their organisational and technical skills, in order for them to cope with highly requiring projects

and cooperation and to develop quality research. Measures to support these improvements will be

implemented in the NPRSTI.

The leading role of universities and research institutions in promoting their research units will

be required in supporting both consolidated and emerging research units which are targeted at

reaching a critical mass to ensure mid-term prospects of continuity and sustainability. Promoting

cooperation and coordination of research groups on an interdisciplinary basis will be done both

through providing support to projects in partnerships, and also through specific support measures.

Both the existence of opportunities to take part in competitive calls for project proposals and

the growing interest in national and international research projects will require an allocation of

resources to support the growing effort towards the preparation of research proposals, therefore

professionalising the research management activities, including capacities in contracts negotiation,

IPRs, marketing of technologies and exploitation of research results.

The service capacity of the analysis and assays laboratories existing in the academic and other

institutions will require an upgrading of the technical people currently involved, as well as the

introduction of quality management systems paving the way for certification and accreditation of

the laboratories to become recognised at the international level. Support to these activities and to

the collaboration and networking between laboratories and research facilities will contribute to the

strengthening of the research system.

Specific Objective 4: Develop a national strategy for RSTI infrastructure ensuring stakeholder’s

access

RSTI infrastructure refers to facilities, resources and related services used by the scientific community

to conduct scientifically sound and relevant research in their respective fields, ranging from social

sciences to engineering sciences, IT sciences to astronomy, and genomics to nanotechnologies.

Examples of components of the RSTI infrastructure include singular large-scale research installations,


collections, special habitats, libraries, databases, clean rooms and research vessels, amongst others.

Research infrastructure may be ‘single-sited’ (a single resource at a single location), ‘distributed’ (a

network of distributed resources), or ‘virtual’ (the service is provided electronically).

There is no doubt that research infrastructure plays an important role in the advancement,

proliferation and exploitation of knowledge and technology. In the context of creating an enabling

environment for research to flourish, investing in local RSTI infrastructure is particularly important

for Namibia as a means of offering an attractive work and study base for local researchers, joint

research projects; as well as re-attracting and retaining those who undertake studies abroad.

Due to the limited capacity of Namibia’s tertiary institutions in offering postgraduate studies, the

majority of postgraduate qualifications by Namibians are obtained from foreign universities. Since

this presents a potential risk of brain drain from the country, it is important to ensure that public

investment in infrastructure goes hand in hand with public investment in scholarships, in order

to orient all of Namibia’s R&D efforts (be it in HR or in infrastructure development) in the same

direction, i.e. in the direction of areas considered to be of priority for Namibia.

Although Namibia has invested some funds on upgrading existing research infrastructure and

developing new facilities, detailed information on the capacity and access to these facilities is

currently not available. It is also not clear whether the investments undertaken to date have provided

a much-needed ‘basic upgrade’ of the local landscape in research infrastructure. Furthermore, no

strategy exists that would provide for upgrading and maintenance to retain the necessary standards

in terms of usability and access. A more concerted effort is thus needed.

In line with the industrialization policy, Namibia needs to ensure that initiatives are put in place

to support technology development and commercialization. The Department of Industrial

Development in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will set collaborative arrangements with

all key role players in establishing industry clusters through the provision of technological assistance

and other available incentives.


Initiative 4.1: Conduct needs analysis to assess research infrastructure, in the context of

specific basic and applied research targets

In order to strengthen the enabling environment and to ensure Namibia’s competitiveness in R&D,

there is a need to formulate a more strategic approach that is modular and builds key enablers and

drivers within the RSTI environment in Namibia. Such an approach is likely to require substantial

additional investments of funding and resources if Namibia is to develop the capacity requirements

to effectively participate in regional and international research collaborations. National research

infrastructure is a key element of Namibia’s competitiveness in the global economic arena and

in addressing the socio-economic challenges especially for its key priorities identified under the

second priority. National research infrastructure would be instrumental in bringing together a wide

diversity of stakeholders to seek solutions for many of the problems facing the society today, and

would also offer unique research services to users from different countries, attract young people

to science, and help to shape scientific communities. The national strategy on RSTI infrastructure

would be formulated, based on a mapping and inventory of research infrastructure (including

laboratories and other facilities) nationwide, detailing the scale of setup (current and planned), level

of excellence, as well as particular strengths and opportunities. On the other hand, an estimation and

projection of what would be a desirable level of research facilities availability, scope and quality,

so as to enable a gap analysis and subsequent specific target setting and strategy formulation.

The inventory of existing research facilities will enable assessment for coordination, synergy and

cooperation possibilities; and thus enable the formulation of a more coherent approach to national

investments in research infrastructure and consolidated procurement and negotiation process to

capitalise on the increased economies of scale.

Initiative 4.2: Earmark funding to finance the construction and upgrade of research

infrastructure on the basis of the dedicated strategy

Once the national strategies have been developed, it would be important to identify appropriate

financing sources to support the rehabilitation, equipping and maintenance of research and

development institutions, university and secondary school laboratories to provide fully functional

and accessible research infrastructure for students, scientists, and innovators. This will complement

on-going government efforts to develop research infrastructure in several sectors of the economy.

Attention shall be given to the judicious utilization of the already available resources for rehabilitating,


upgrading and equipping the existing institutions such as universities, incubation centres and

research institutes. In order to ensure optimal utilization of scarce resources new scientific research

institutions shall be established in the Innovation Hub at the National RSTI Valley and will form

part of the network of national research facilities.

Development of appropriate ICT infrastructure to support RSTI and the use of ICT in RSTI shall

be promoted and a platform across the RSTI system for information sharing, management and

networking will be established. The network ICT infrastructure will include supercomputing,

software and user platforms for networking of scientists and engineers.

Initiative 4.3: Adopt a policy of open access to infrastructures and networking / coordination

of laboratories, libraries and research databases and repositories.

To avoid unnecessary wastage in purchasing equipment that might already exist within the country

and are underutilized, sharing of infrastructure across institutions or sectors through provision of

centralised multi-purpose research infrastructure will be strongly encouraged.

PRIORITY 3: PROMOTING COOPERATION IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES

RESULTING IN AN IMPROVED RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES.

Development of a research and innovation ecosystem in Namibia will be fostered through enhanced

cooperation both at local, as well as at regional and international levels. Partnerships involving

educational institutions and various industries, cooperation of research units in interdisciplinary

projects, relevant institutions in the region and beyond will facilitate the mobility of researchers,

transfer of technologies and appropriation of knowledge by final users.

The starting point will be a close coordination among national stakeholders active in regulation,

promotion or research development; creation of information and communication channels will be

implemented by the NCRST with a later emphasis in knowledge-sharing supported by collaborative

e-platforms, which will be playing a role in increasing information accessibility, consolidation of

researchers communities and clustering research initiatives. The NCRST will coordinate with each

line MOA in order to support collaborations and to promote the sharing of resources between sectors.


Fostering cooperation in the international arena will especially provide ways for benefiting from

complementarity in science and technology fields as well as for accessing new opportunities in

neighbouring African countries looking for an impact which can grow from research to industrial

and economic development.

Specific Objective 5: Establish the necessary partnerships and strengthen cooperation in research

and innovation activities

A coherent approach has to be used in order to attain the creation of partnerships among RSTI

stakeholders and agents which can have a growing impact in strengthening the National Innovation

System. This will require that the promotional effort lead by NCRST and other main stakeholders

avoid launching isolated initiatives, but look for interweaving, linking and networking the training,

mobility or projects support actions which will involve academia, industry, public sector and civil

society.

Initiative 5.1: Strengthening of the NCRST’s capacity to effectively coordinate the

development and implementation of RSTI policies and programs

The Namibia’s RSTI system is fragmented which required that the NCRST is adequately empowered

to undertake the co-ordination function for effective execution of its mandate and to play a role as

a national hub to facilitate exchanges together with other RST service interfaces such as technology

transfer offices. During this NPRSTI, efforts will be made to strengthen the NCRST’s capacity to

improve RSTI coordination in the country.

Initiative 5.2: Develop a framework and process for establishing linkages among institutions

locally in the identified national priorities

A framework that would facilitate the linkages among all actors in the RSTI delivery funnel

needs to be established. This framework shall provide for mutually beneficial partnerships in the

development of the national science and technology system in ways that provide an acceptable

trade-off between public, private sector and civil society organizations. Such partnerships would

support the advancements in research and product development, industrial production and

commercialisation, addressing the national priorities as to increase their sustainability and impact.


Specific Objective 6: Promote regional and international cooperation

The new National RSTI Programme should put in motion the development of strategies that

will promote and build international cooperation in RSTI. This could enable Namibia to tap into

international human and financial resources to help address Namibia’s need, and possibly create a

base upon which Namibian RSTI advances can make a contribution to international RSTI progress.

Participation at international level and consequently participation in agenda-setting in RSTI

at international level provides important know how for both national policy making and

operationalization. However, this can also impose certain constraints due to the need to coordinate

policy action with other countries. The administrative and bureaucratic burden can also prove

heavy for a small country such as Namibia. The design of a more strategic national approach

towards international cooperation tempered by an appreciation of limitations has therefore become

imperative. This will enable a country such as Namibia to obtain and retain a level of national

advantage in securing access to a wider range of knowhow, for training people, pooling resources,

implementation of international RSTI insight in Namibia, coping with challenges of a global

magnitude and minimising global threats and risks.

The drive to secure advantage from international cooperation is complex due to the high level of

internationalisation and the fact that science is global in reach and scope and thus knows no borders.

If we wish to attract and retain top-class scientists in Namibia; it is critical that these scientists are

and remain well connected to international research. To enable this, the means for enabling this

connectivity have to be in place. Namibia stands to gain substantially from developing a more

strategic and coordinated approach to international cooperation as there is evidence of economic

benefits related to internationalization drives. In particular the internationalisation of SMEs, as key

producers of technology, suppliers and exporters can have significant impacts on national capacity-

building and competitiveness.

There exists a positive correlation between the proliferation of RSTI and socio-economic success

and sustainability. The international context of science, research and innovation has become highly

dynamic, with significant differentiating impacts on national economies, generating increased

instability and vulnerability, whilst opening up windows of opportunity for advancement.


Initiative 6.1: Establish and strengthening collaboration with regional and international

research institutions

The correlation of the national need for innovation with the evolution of science and technology

in the world takes place through research-action networks, where multidisciplinary international

cooperation is targeted to the resolution of specifically identified problems. NPRSTI shall promote

strategic local and international partnerships in research and development where institutions will

be responsible for strengthening cooperation.

Namibia will strengthen its scientific diplomacy through seeking cooperation with developed and

developing countries to attract increased international investments in RSTI. These corporations

could be in the form of joint technical cooperation projects, sharing, training and exchange of experts

among the relevant RSTI Institutions to strengthen collective STI capacity.

Co-operation with regional and international organizations in the promotion and development

of RSTI will be encouraged involving public and private Namibian RSTI institutions by signing

cooperation agreements. Opportunities presented by South Africa Development Community

(SADC), continental and other international organizations will be fully explored to strengthen

Namibia’s scientific and technological capability.

Strategic thinking will help NCRST to identify new opportunities in countries where a strong

tradition of RST cooperation does not exist, as is the case of Angola, a neighbouring country where

complementarities can be found strongly supported by population and historical ties.

Initiative 6.2: Invest in targeted bilateral cooperation efforts, which address the research

and innovation priorities of both parties

Such efforts should promote, inter alia, access to RSTI excellence through networks, contacts, training

and research opportunities, convening of joint events and projects. Namibia will participate in global

RSTI initiatives and create conditions that are attractive and motivate foreign scientists, engineers and

technologists to develop appropriate networks with Namibian counterparts for internationalisation

of research, innovation and industrial production. Effort will be made to increase the mobility of

scientists, through participation in conferences and exchange programmes that would specifically

enhance corporation between Namibian and international researchers.


Initiative 6.3: Create and consolidate communities of researchers, professionals or

entrepreneurs from Namibia in foreign countries

Identification and creation of linkages between Namibian researchers, engineers, professionals or

investors with residence abroad will be supported in order to boost networks of cooperation and

to facilitate additional access to investment, training and expertise while establishing new frames

for trans-national mobility and cooperation projects and increasing the visibility of Namibia as a

research and innovation country in the international arena

PRIORITY 4: DISSEMINATING SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE,

LOOKING TOWARDS A GROWING INVOLVEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS, RESEARCHERS,

ENTERPRISES AND ENTIRE POPULATION

A policy agenda such as the one proposed by the RSTI Programme is addressing the Namibian

science and technology community but also the economic actors and the whole of the population

which are to fully understand the role of knowledge in supporting the attainment of the country’s

development objectives as well as supporting the defined goals and the corresponding allocation of

public resources.

Therefore, there is a need to disseminate knowledge to Namibians, the scientific community, policy-

makers, entrepreneurs, the educational system and the population through conferences, publications,

seminars, training courses, curricula at school, field testing, demonstration, fellowships, internships,

science and trade fairs, farmers’ day, open innovation platforms, institutional or industrial visits and

various kinds of public campaigns.

Specific Objective 7: Public support to Researchers’ results

Dissemination of research findings and results will require the use of a variety of communication

channels, such as using the media, through publications or interviews for a wide audiences, as well

as conferences or newsletters for more specialised public and well-focused reports for targeted

communities, such as decision makers on specific issues.


The NCRST will have a role in both facilitating publication and dissemination of research results as

well as open access to knowledge through general and international science media in particular to

all the research and innovation community.

A specific issue to be considered is to overcome the language barrier and specific measures should

be devised for translation of the research information into the local languages both for dissemination

and access to knowledge.

Initiative 7.1: Promote dissemination and publication of research results.

A national research conference shall be organized annually, where Namibian researchers are given

an opportunity to present their research findings. These shall also be supplemented by topic specific

research conferences. Namibian researchers shall also be encouraged to publish their findings in

peer-reviewed journals, through an incentive mechanism. The profile of existing local journals shall

be elevated and new journals shall be established.

Initiative 7.2: Establish a reward and recognition system for RSTI achievers and achievements.

There is a general decline of interest in Science, Engineering and Technology worldwide, and in

order to reverse this trend, different strategies targeting root causes of this phenomenon are to be

implemented, including promoting Science, Engineering and Technology through recognizing the

positive contributions made by scientist, researchers, technologist and engineers and organizations

working in these areas.

The purpose of this reward and recognition system will be to promote and create awareness of the

important role that science, engineering and technology plays in the economic and social prosperity

of the country, through valuing and appreciating contributions of individual scientist, researchers,

technologists, engineers and science institutions while the guiding principles will be Fairness,

Equity, Gender sensitivity, Quality and Sustainability. The reward and recognition system intends

to acknowledge science and technology institutions based on outstanding achievements in the field

and noble initiatives promoting a science and research culture in Namibia.


Specific Objective 8: Promote public awareness on the importance of RSTI

Initiative 8.1: Develop and implement programmes to the public about the importance of the

RSTI to economic development

RSTI has not been accorded its rightful position in the national development agenda due to lack

of awareness of its importance in economic development. A number of awareness programmes

targeted at specific stakeholders need to be created. In order to address some of these challenges, the

NCRST will continue to devise programmes aimed at promoting science and technology in Namibia.

To this end, various National events have been planned as follows:

(i) National Science, Technology and Innovation Week

This event is organised annually with the aim of providing a comprehensive, multi-facetted,

interactive programme made up of some national and international keynote addresses, illustrated

talks, workshops, short courses, competitions, demonstrations, displays, exhibitions, sport science

events and field trips, to enthral and inspire our budding young scientists and their educators.

(ii) National Science Fair

This event is organised annually in collaboration with the NamPower Foundation. The purpose

of the Science Fair is to popularize science and technology among our students, community and

educators. It is a vehicle to encourage students, parents and teachers to take a more active interest

in the study of science by providing an opportunity for students to conduct and publicly present an

independent scientific inquiry.

Initiative 8.2: Develop and implement specific programmes addressed at politicians and

specific decision-makers within communities

Exchanges about sensitive STI related issues, such as ethical concerns, and impact of new technologies

in quality of products, safety or public health, will be organised in order to increase awareness about

normative, sectorial or other public or private initiatives.


The NCRST will also provide the policy briefs for politicians namely at governmental and

parliamentary levels, related to sensitive issues or projects with an important social or economic

impact, in order to promote a deeper debate and understanding and also to create a sound foundation

upon which to request support from decision makers where international cooperation and allocation

of fair RSTI resources is concerned.

PRIORITY 5: PROMOTING INNOVATION IN THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SECTORS

The NPRSTI addresses challenges where new technologies are key, particularly where competition

at local and international level require the capacity to provide socially useful products and solutions

under affordable conditions. This means that support measures to innovation should be implemented

in order to remove the existing barriers for companies to upgrade their capacities to provide the end

users with access to those services and products.

Firstly, the initiatives in the RSTI Programme will look for and identify easier access to technologies

and solutions as well as to facilitate the absorption capacities of the firms to incorporate them with

the business culture and practice. This includes the promotion of new innovative or technology-

based firms, whether emerging

from higher education institutions

or from external private initiatives.

Secondly, the creation of the

suitable conditions to incorporate

the basic resources for innovation,

qualified professional, specific

financial resources and innovation

support services and infrastructure

will start to be developed in order

to comply with the needs for

innovation.

A critical role will be played by enlarging cooperation between academia and economic sectors,

among the farmers or companies themselves and linkages at regional and international levels;

thereby creating partnerships and collaborative initiatives in the social and agricultural sectors, and


clusters in industrial or services sectors will be accompanied by enhanced coordination between the

ministries, state-owned enterprises and other public bodies.

Specific Objective 9: Promoting knowledge transfer to end users

There is a need to encourage technology innovation consortia of various forms initiated by enterprises,

in collaboration with universities and research institutes, for the purpose of technology innovation

capacity building. Furthermore, there is a need to reform the modality of RSTI programs to enable

the enterprises to undertake national R&D missions. National RSTI programs shall reflect more of

the major industrial needs for science and technology, and attract more enterprises to be part of such

programs.

Market competition is an important driving force behind technological innovation while technological

innovation is the ultimate route to enhanced enterprise competitiveness. Namibian enterprises need

to play an increasingly important role in technological innovation to substantially enhance the

motility and vitality of technological innovation at the enterprise level. To this end, more agreeable

conditions need to be provided and a better environment needs to be created.

Economics and RSTI policies need to play a guiding role in order to enable enterprises to become

the major R&D spenders. Efforts must be accelerated to create a unified, open, competitive, and

orderly environment for the market economy by way of fiscal, taxation, and monetary policies so

that enterprises, particularly large enterprises, are induced into increasing their R&D spending and

establishing their own R&D bodies.

Initiative 9.1: Promotion of private-public research cooperation projects

In order to efficiently address the social and economic challenges, much of the research activities

should be oriented from the very beginning to address well defined targets. This will need to

strengthen the efforts to make deeply diagnosis opportunities and needs existing in industry and

society, looking forward to incorporating the right partners to collaborate in research efforts through

accurate definition of needs; contributing to specification of the needed outcomes; collaboration at

the proof-of-concept stage; and finally to become beneficiaries of the research results.


The NPRSTI will promote private-public research partnerships where, together with the research institution,

end users are fully integrated during the whole life of the research projects, furthermore when long term

alliances are set up between researchers units and firms for research and innovation cooperation.

Initiative 9.2: Promote the application and commercialization of results and products of

research

Universities or research institutions will be encouraged to transfer or licence the knowledge existing

in their technology portfolios to third parties. The commercialisation effort should be initially

launched by the institution itself, while the NCRST will look for ways of widening the dissemination

of the available technology promoting the creation of e-market places and the participation in

technology transfer networks, at international level. Specific attention will be paid to the effective

use of intellectual property rights protection through the implementation and harmonisation of the

IP regulations, cooperation with BIPA and supporting development of IPR counselling services.

Specific attention will be paid to indigenous knowledge, with a special focus on investigating the

commercialization aspect of IKS, promoting the development of IKS databases out of existing

outcomes of previous work.

The NPRSTI shall develop a holistic system where independent researchers working on related

research projects will be clustered under a single research initiative in order to improve research

collaboration, synergy and productivity. The research productivity will be enhanced by a strong

product development support mechanism that involves incubation centres, technical and business

mentoring and product marketing partnerships.

Initiative 9.3: Promotion of technological services and innovation networks

There will be a drive to promotion IP protection in order to facilitate the transfer of knowledge

and create instruments for knowledge transfer. Technology Transfer Offices in the research centres,

higher education institutions and other institutions, capable of providing support to researchers and

enterprises both at a national or international level will need IP protection.


Initiative 9.4: Facilitating the establishment of technology-based enterprises

Emphasis will be placed on support services and resources for nurturing start-up science and

technology enterprises with the goal of developing them into financially viable businesses equipped

with the tools for long-term survival and growth. The Innovation Hub will, amongst other build

collaborative capacities between the universities and industrialists and specific guidelines and

procedures on entry, duration of stay and exit for the innovation value chain.

Specific Objective 10: Providing basic resources for innovation

Initiative 10.1: Develop a framework to support industry fellowship and knowledge transfer

partnerships scheme for students at all levels

Development of the knowledge and skills that make the workforce more efficient and productive

is imperative for Namibia. Industry shall be encouraged to support students by providing them

with opportunities for internships in order for them to acquire the necessary skills that are not easily

learned in the classrooms.

Initiative 10.2: Financial incentives

Financial support, in the form of loans is currently provided by banking institutions to a variety of

entities, ranging from large corporates, to SOEs and to SMEs even when the financial support for

all entities is not dependent on their innovativeness. The creation of an Innovation Fund addressed

to Namibian innovative projects will be studied in order to create specific incentives for R&D

investment by the private sector.

As an alternative way to promoting R&D, possible future schemes of tax deduction will also be

studied. The prime objective of the R&D tax incentive programme will be to provide an incentive

(in a form of a deduction) to encourage scientific and technological R&D and make companies

internationally competitive by encouraging the development of innovative products, processes

and services; increasing investment in defined R&D activities; promoting the technological

advancement of companies focusing on innovation or higher technical risk in defined R&D activities;

encouraging strategic R&D planning; and creating an environment that is conducive to increased

commercialisation of new processes and product technologies.


Initiative 10.3: Establishment of the Innovation Hub

Innovation, particularly rapid technological advancement is a crucial aspect in today’s business

world due to various factors. Innovation is also driven by evolving customer requirements and

expectations, which results in increased demand for new, improved and differentiated products.

This demand for innovation prompts enterprises to continuously seek methods to improve their

products, processes and services. With Namibia traditionally a user of products, innovated by

others, this begs change, and can become a significant factor in the development of secondary and

tertiary products based on Namibia’s natural resources and potential as embodied in e.g., indigenous

knowledge. Furthermore, innovative approaches are required in the area of import substitution in

order to favourably impact national balance of payments and to develop the Namibian economy

towards greater sophistication and beneficiation.

Namibia thus needs to develop a comprehensive system of innovation that would bring together all

key players, from the knowledge generators throughout to the uses. Bringing, the state, academia,

and industry together would overcome the innovation chasm thus resulting in strengthening of the

link in the innovation chain, from ‘blue sky’ research to commercialization as well as the removal of

bottlenecks, which stop ideas from reaching the market.

The first science and technology park for Namibia will be housed at the National RSTI Valley managed

by the NCRST under the Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub will provide a unique comprehensive

balance of technological support and R&D capabilities including incubator facilities technology

assessment and transfer programmes, suitable for scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs. Other

offerings shall include business mentoring and apprenticeship services, marketing and financial

consultancy services, technology development and business platforms to researchers, innovators

and SMEs; and technology commercialization assistance. This will include advisory and consultancy

services in technology transfer, project management, market research, opportunity analysis and

professional development programmes.

SECTION 3:

PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS

The priority research areas are those addressing the primary aims of the country, contributing

to solving social problems and economic development. The areas have been grouped as those

specifically related to the primary social and economic challenges of Namibia, and those areas

formed by horizontal technologies of application in the majority of the fields.


HealthResearch and innovation may have a strong impact in the ability of the health sector to contribute to

efficiently dealing with some of the main aims of the NDP4, as is the case with clinical research on

extreme poverty related diseases. Translation of research findings into the clinical and other health

care fields which will also contribute to reduced health inequalities.

Namibia’s health system has to respond to infectious diseases and other common health problems in

infancy and childhood. Research on solutions offered to HIV/AIDS, cancer and tuberculosis patients

as well as on their social environment (nutrition, poverty, crowding, etc.) are needed. Other endemic

diseases such as malaria and polio need approaches that will lead to total eradication.

The nutrition situation and diet deficiencies of the population, as well as the importance of supply

and access to medicines are objectives set out in the national health policies, and can be addressed

through research between health and academic institutions. Regional and international cooperation

can also allow partnerships in translational research and clinical trials.

Strategic Initiatives Lead Institution Partner Institution

Health

(a) Support biomedical research in communicable and non-communicable diseases in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, therapy and management

MOHSSNCRST, NIP, HEIs, MOAs

(b) Conduct research aimed at improving access, services and finance in the general health care delivery system

MOHSS NCRST, HEIs

(c) Support research technologies in support of sanitation, environmental and occupational health

MOHSSMOL, NCRST, HEIs, Local Authorities,

(d) Promote research and development in the area of bio-medical engineering and instrumentation, as well as the potential of information technology application in the health delivery system

MOHSS NCRST, HEIs

(e) Promote and support research in natural products medicine including the commercialization of the research results

MOHSS NCRST, HEIs

C H A P T E R 6 :RESEARCH AREAS ADDRESSING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES


AgricultureThe introduction of technological solutions in agricultural production can contribute to a significant

change in the farmers’ needs and has a great potential for crop intensification and diversification,

upgrading the breeding levels of livestock and other animal resources and sustained rural

development; ultimately contributing to national food security. Enabling biotechnologies in

consideration with the laws of the country will be an important element in achieving these goals.

Given the high population involved in agriculture and the economic importance of the sector,

research in this field will contribute to improving the living standards in rural areas through access

to sufficient food, provision of skills and jobs for women and youth, development of sustainable

food production systems, improvement of management of natural resources and ecosystems, and

reduction of poverty.



Agriculture

(a) Sustain and improve research competence to raise the productivity and management of crops, livestock, poultry, marine resources, production tools and implements with due regard to impact on the environment

MAWF NCRST, HEIs, MOAs

(b) Promote the research and application of new technologies including safe biotechnology, which hold potential for increasing productivity

MAWFNCRST, Agronomic Board,HEIs, MOAs

(c) Reduce pre-harvest and post-harvest losses in agricultural production

MAWFNCRST,Agronomic Board,HEIs, MOAs

(d) Diversification of value chains through post-harvesting value addition

MTI NCRST, MAWF, MOAs

(e) Promote the development of food processing technologies and other by products industries in order to enhance value addition for the local market and for exports

MTINCRST, NSI,MAWF, MOAs

(f) Strengthen the production of traditional and non-traditional export commodities to enhance the diversification of the economy

MAWFAgronomic Board,Meat Board,MTI, MET

(g) Promote research on alien, medicinal, cosmetics and ornamental plants

MAWF HEIs, MOAs

(h) Promote soil, rangeland and water resources management MAWF

NDC,Farmers UnionsNamWater,MLRR

(i) Promote horticulture activities around water bodies MAWF NCRST, MOAs, MFMR

(j) Strengthen the linkages between research, industries, agricultural extension and other relevant training providers

MAWFNCRST,Farmers Unions, HEIs, MOAs

(k) Develop technologies that promote resilience and adaptability to the environment and communities to the changing climate

MAWF MET,MOAs

(l) Promote the conservation and protection of indigenous animal and plant genetic resources

MAWFMET, BIPA, HEIs,Agronomic Board, NBA, MOAs

(m) Promote marketing research for agricultural commodities MAWF MTI, MOAs(n) Conservation of indigenous and other national species

including but not limited to livestock, plants, and marine resources

MET NCRST, NBRI, CCF, MAWF, MFMR, MOAs


FisheriesThe importance of marine resources as a source of income for the Namibian economy requires

research and innovation to add value and develop new products in fish processing. This can be

made possible through the development and implementation of vessels monitoring systems.

Fisheries research will support progress in working in deeper waters offshore, valorizing the

diversity of marine life and promoting sustainable fishing of deep-sea resources, as well as caring

for the marine environment. There is also a need to understand freshwater and inland aquaculture,

which requires intensified efforts in biological research.


Fisheries

(a) Create an understanding of Namibia’s freshwater ecosystems and species diversity to evaluate the potential for aquaculture

MFMR NCRST,MOAs

(b) Diversify investment from fisheries towards other economic sectors and industries`

MFMR NCRST, MOAs

WaterThe general national objectives under Vision 2030 for the Namibian water sector is to achieve the

efficient supply and allocation of water to ensure equitable access to clean water and sanitation by

all as well as to contribute to the long-term social and economic development of Namibia. However,

achievement of this objective poses a challenge due to Namibia’s dry climate and unpredictable

rainfall (including skewed income distribution), and as such it can only be addressed through a

high degree of efficient development and management of its water resources. In this regard, the

key challenges of the water sector will be to address the technological, capacity constraints (human

and institutional), financial and socio-economic issues as outlined under the consolidated (National

Integrated Water Resources Management (NIWRM) Plan 2010. This is based on ensuring the

environmental sustainability of water use and re-use; full participation of the stakeholders and strong

institutional capacity from local to national level. Water demand management and integrated water

resource management are essential. However, these must be complemented with engineering and

science knowledge related to water infrastructure and resource conservation, as well as budgeting

and controlling skills.


Water is an essential resource for the livelihood of the people and an essential input in agriculture

and mining. Safe and reliable quality water supply and sanitation services should be available for

urban and rural areas. Irrigation, industry and mines will require the development of research and

technology on water and waste water management schemes, water treatment technologies and water

use efficiency. Research is also needed especially to develop technologies for flood water harvesting.


Water

(a) Promote communication and consultation between institutions in the water sector, to encourage the development of a shared vision concerning water in Namibia, and the needs for water research

MAWF NCRST, ALAN, NAMWATER, HEIs

(b) Technologies and management systems for water in the industrial, domestic and agricultural spheres including an inventory of subterranean and surface water resources, their quality, quantity and potential use

MAWF NAMWATER, Local Authorities, DRFN, HEIs

(c) Support and develop identified water management and water engineering R&D programmes

MAWFHEIs, NAMWATER, NCRST

(d) Commercialise viable R&D outputs (innovation and value-addition)

MTI HEIs, NCRST

(e) Develop human and institutional R&D capacities for water management and the production of water engineering products and services

NPC MOE, HEIs

(f) Technology investigation for water demand management and groundwater protection

MAWF DRFN, HEIs

(g) Research on national pollution control and effluent discharge quality and appropriate regulations implementation

HEIsLocal Authorities, MAWF, MET, MWT

(h) Economic and financial modelling on effective tariff setting and implementation (including the development of a regulatory framework)

MAWF HEIs, NAMWATER

(i) Alternative water supply options, specific to effective water metering and data monitoring

MAWFHEIs, Local Authorities, DRFN

EnergyEnergy supply in a sustainable and efficient manner will require technological solutions for

accessibility to energy sources such as renewable resources which will reduce carbon emissions.

Technological solutions should support a higher efficiency in energy uses contributing to economic

gains in industry, urban and domestic uses, and at the same time reduce the overload that has been

experienced in the country.


Research and innovation in renewable energies will promote technological innovations for

production, distribution and storage, alternative energies, including wind, solar or biomass sources

that are well adapted to meet development challenges in rural electrification, rural water supply and

solar housing and water heating.

In order to achieve security of supply, economic efficiency and sustainability the energy policies

of Namibia affect energy demand (mainly households), supply (electricity, upstream oil and gas,

downstream liquid fuels, downstream gas, and renewable energy) and a number of cross-cutting

issues (economic empowerment, environment and energy efficiency) requiring a strong support

from research and development activities.


Energy

(a) Promote a research and development programme relating to alternative energy sources such as solar energy, biomass, wind and other renewable energy sources and upgrading hydropower energy production technology to supplement the current non-renewable energy sources

MME

ECB, NCRSTNAMPOWER, NAMCOR, HEIs, PETROFUND

(b) Promote research and development efforts aimed at popularization and dissemination of energy technology for rural development

MMENCRST, NAMPOWER, PETROFUND, NAMCOR, HEIs

(c) Conduct research on the feasibility of nuclear energy resources for medical use

MOHSS MME

(d) Develop an integrated petrochemical industry MME NAMCOR

GeosciencesGeoscience research has a critical role in addressing Namibia’s socio-economic issues through basic

and strategic research initiatives. Geoscientific information is used in tandem with other science

information to develop best practices and frameworks to for example guide land-use decisions,

conduct geo-environmental monitoring, mitigate adverse environmental effects and identify

water resources, to ensure the availability and sustainability of resources for the benefit of society.

Increasing the amount of detailed and reliable geological map coverage through surveying and

research is important for the support of, among others, mineral exploration in Namibia.



Geosciences

(a) Promote and support acquisition of geo-scientific knowledge to enhance the understanding of geosciences

MMEUNAM, NCRST, MOAs, NHC

(b) Conduct geoscience analysis, surveying and research, and strengthen collaboration between research and private stakeholders

MME CTBTO, HEIs, MOAs

(c) Conduct geo-environmental monitoring and risk assessment of active and abandoned mines

MME MET, MOAs

(d) Promote the expansion and management of geoscientific data, and development of storage facilities

MME MOAs

(e) Promote the expansion and management of geophysical networks, to ensure comprehensive national coverage of seismic events

MME CTBTO, MOA

(f) Create awareness and ensure protection of geo-heritage, and potential fossil and/or meteorite sites

MME NHC, MOA

MiningThe mining industry is a major contributor to Namibia’s economy and one of the major contributors

to the GDP. Mineral resources aside, the financial surplus of mining can foster development in other

sectors. A comprehensive geoscientific knowledge base underpins a robust and sustainable mining

industry, since geosciences form part of the foundation of the mining sector value chain. Geoscience

data and information play a pivotal role in stimulating investment in the mining industry. Apart

from the major mining companies, the development of Small Scale Mining is a priority for the MME.


Mining

(a) To develop a competitive and conducive legal framework to promote investment. Ensure and promote safe, responsible and sustainable use of mineral resources

MME MOJ, MOAs

(b) To promote the integration of mining with other sectors MME MTI, MOAs(c) Develop and support a vibrant and sustainable Small

Scale Mining SectorMME MTI, NCCI, MOAs

Indigenous KnowledgeThe indigenous knowledge developed over centuries in Namibia has created the basis for local

technological advancement. In order to keep the legacy of that indigenous knowledge, to protect it,

to store it and to avoid its loss over time, systematic research effort has to be deployed while looking

for applications, innovation, verification and commercialization to suit current situation.


Thus the conservation of genetic resources of indigenous, wild, cultivated and other plant species,

as well as the creation of reliable germplasm banks and collections constitutes a strong challenge for

researchers. Therefore research opportunity exists to close this identified information gap. Research

in this area will also benefit the country on its quest to document indigenous knowledge for the

benefit of future generations.


Indigenous knowledge

(a) Strengthen linkages between research institutions and industry in IKS R&D research and capacity building

NCRST MOE, MOAs

(b) Develop a database, protect, promote and preserve IKS technologies that show potential for commercialization

NCRST MOE, MOAs, HEIs

(c) Establish IKS policy, IKS R&D platform for product development, value-addition, innovation, commercialization and development strategy

NCRST MOE, MOAs, HEIs

(d) Validation of IKS technologies with potential for commercialization

MTI NCRST

(e) Expedite IKS IP policy legislation to protect IKS knowledge holders

NCRST MOJ, MOE

(f) Promote research in IKS and documentation, as well as the utilisation of social knowledge and traditions

NCRSTMOE, MOAs, HEIs,Traditional Authorities

(g) The history, experiences, aspirations of the indigenous people and their relationship with other ethnic groups

MYNSSC HEIs, MOAs, IKC

(h) Role of indigenous languages & culture on development MYNSSC HEIs, MOAs, IKC(i) Promote and document of indigenous languages MYNSSC HEIs, MOAs, IKC

Social Sciences and HumanitiesThe Social and Human Sciences have a vital role for understanding major social-cultural changes

and shifts in the social, cultural, political and economic spheres of the Namibian society. Many

challenges face Namibia in the struggle to overcome underdevelopment and become a prosperous

industrialised knowledge based society. To overcome underdevelopment, Namibia must not only

address past historical development imbalances, but also look towards the creation and fostering

of a new society which is competitive globally. There is therefore a research opportunity to address

these socio-economic, cultural and political challenges of a rapidly evolving society in a globalised

world.

RSTI would be performed to improve development of policy formulation and implementation,

manage societal conflicts emanating from inequitable distribution of resources, and enhance


popular participation, rural development and the challenges of modernisation. RSTI would also be

applied to assess the country’s ability to harness emerging technologies to accelerate development

and problem solving in society.

Due to crosscutting of issues related to social sciences and humanities with other research priority

areas, research will be integrated with all the rest of the priority areas. Research that supports the

search for scientific and technological solutions for the societal challenges, and supplying evidences

and new approaches to contribute to policy development is essential. In this field, research will be

closely related to current and emerging societal challenges and in relation to the social and economic

objectives.


Social Sciences and Humanities

(a) Youth unemployment and job creation MYNSSC HEIs, MOAs, NYCN(b) Violence & crime and corruption MSS HEIs, MOAs(c) Small Medium Enterprises capacity building MTI HEIs, MOAs(d) Mental health and wellbeing MHS HEIs, MOAs(e) Cultural change and social development MYNSSC HEIs, MOAs(f) Productivity and global competiveness MTI HEIs, MOAs(g) Leveraging the emerging technologies to benefit

NamibiansMICT HEIs, MOAs

(h) Promotion of good corporate governance and service delivery

SOEGC HEIs, MOAs

(i) Availability of relevant statistics in different sectors of Namibia Society

NSA HEIs, MOAs

(j) Urbanization and service availability MRLGH HEIs, MOAs(k) Climate change and adaptation MET HEIs, MOAs

LogisticsNDP4 cites logistics as one of its key priority areas. Whilst logistics is important in its own right,

its true value comes when, as a tool, it succeeds in facilitating and generating trade that, in turn,

can stimulate national and regional development. Neither marketing nor logistics can exist

independently; rather, they should work in combination to enable the generation of trade, which

can foster national development.

Clearly to operate successfully, logistics must be supported by adequate infrastructure and transport,

but to concentrate on these issues alone would be to ignore a large part of the problem and would


most probably be doomed to failure. Even if the infrastructure issues could be resolve overnight,

it is unlikely that Namibia would have a successful logistics industry. To do so much wider, and

softer, issues such as attitude, culture, service and training would need to be addressed.

Research and innovation on networks design, equipment and systems will facilitate attaining the

objectives of the NPD4 with high levels of efficiency, reducing the use of fuels, costs and times

of transport while increasing accessibility. Research and innovation on infrastructure solutions is

necessary to deal with innovative traffic management, information systems, efficient logistics and

maintenance technologies.

One of the key ambitions for the logistics sector is to develop a logistics hub / cluster around the

Walvis-bay port that would become a gateway to SADC. In the light of this the following strategic

initiatives are suggested.


Logistics

(a) Research into the requirements for a successful port-centric logistics hub. This includes infrastructure, service requirements, intermodal transport capabilities, etc.

MWTRCC, RA, ECN, HEIs, NAMPORT

(b) Carry out research into infrastructure and transport needs with specific reference to international connectivity using intermodal transport

HEIs

RCC, RA, TRANSNAMIB, NAMPORT, Walvis Bay Corridor Group

(c) Encourage investment in local innovation in the transport/logistics sector

MWT NCRST

Environment and TourismPriority for RSTI in environment and tourism shall be geared towards maintaining and enhancing

the quality and sustainability of the environment and to integrate environmental concerns in all

developmental policies as well as to improve the tourism industry for better service delivery. The

utilization of the tourism industry for development at socio-economic and thus community level is

an important consideration here.



Environment and Tourism

(a) Strengthen research and developmental activities that would promote sustainable development especially in the management of ecosystems and ecological processes

MET EIF, MFMR

(b) Promote STI in marketing Namibia’s tourism resources NTB NCRST, NWR(c) Develop and adopt relevant technologies in the operations

of tourism industriesMET NTB, NMA

(d) Further the development and involvement of communities in tourism and associated services

NTBNWR, Communal conservancies


T he research areas addressing enabling technologies will provide wide-application solutions

and will contribute with solutions to the economic and social challenges. Four of such

areas have been identified as priority within the NPRSTI. They include manufacturing

technologies, information and communication technologies, biotechnology and space science.

Manufacturing Technologies A special RSTIP specific to manufacturing sectors should be developed and initiated with the

relevant stakeholders. An RSTI-manufacturing program should be focused to identify and develop/

adapt/source appropriate technologies required to leapfrog the manufacturing of products and

services in the sectors where Namibia has competitive economic advantages. Consequently, required

human resources and institutional support as required, R&D capabilities need to be developed.

Improvements introduced in manufacturing by material and processing technologies will contribute

to facilitating high productivity processes in several industrial sectors, contributing to the objective

of industrialisation of the country, as well as to the economic and social challenges in fields like

agriculture, food security and others.

RSTI would be performed to increase the national capacity for industrial production and innovation

and promote science and technology to enhance industrial productivity and value-addition. RSTI

would also be applied in commercial activities to ensure quality, reliability and efficiency in the

delivery of goods and services in conformity with appropriate local and international standards.

C H A P T E R 7 :RESEARCH AREAS ADDRESSING ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES


Strategic Initiatives Lead Institution Partner Institution Manufacturing Technologies(a) Strengthen systems and mechanisms for acquisition,

assessment, adaptation, adoption and application of essential technologies for industrial beneficiation processes and activities to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of product output and high quality of products

NCRST NMA, NCCI, NSI

(b) Encourage R&D programs that develop tools, equipment and machinery for existing, emerging and potential industries

NCRST NMA

(c) Encourage quality assurance in manufacturing NSI NCRST, HEIs(d) Utilise science and technology in improving national

standardization, packaging and quality management programmes

NSI NCRST, HEIs

(e) Promote the adoption of standards for the production of goods and services for the local and international markets

NSI NCCI, NMA

(f) Promote S&T activities that would accelerate technology transfer and innovations

NCRST HEIs

(g) Create incentives to promote investment and support in research and development by the private sector

MTI NCCI

Information and Communication TechnologyICT activities will focus on software development and applications, integration of communication networks,

data processing and security of information and systems looking for applications with high impact, ensuring

that industry, public sector and society are equipped with the suitable information systems. According

to the IT policy analysis, Namibia is very dependent on foreign technology and skills in the ICT sector.

However, an environment should be created where the cooperation of foreign and local researchers and

firms assists with the development of local technology, content and the industry in general.

Strategic Initiatives Lead Institution Partner Institution ICT(a) Promote applied research and capacity development

on the socio-economic impact (and assess capacity) of information technology use

MICT HEIs, CRAN

(b) Promote applied research on and awareness of cyber security threats and develop globally-relevant strategies to secure ICTs resources and users of the country

MSSCRAN, Security Agencies, HEIs

(c) Promote applied research and develop application on Sectoral Information Systems

OPM MICT, HEIs

(d) Promote green ICT practices focusing on E-waste MET CRAN, EIF


BiotechnologyTraditional biotechnology has been practiced throughout the world for many years in agriculture,

and other industries. Modern biotechnology is an enabling technology based on the vast array of

potential applications and uses that the Republic of Namibia can harness in the agricultural, public

health, environmental and economic sectors and aligning them with the national development

policies and priorities / objectives. Modern biotechnology is a term adopted by an international

convention to refer to biotechnological techniques for the manipulation of genetic material and the

fusion of cells beyond normal breeding barriers. The most obvious example is genetic engineering to

create genetically modified/engineered organisms (GMOs/GEOs) through “transgenic technology”

involving the insertion or deletion of genes. It does not involve the manipulation of genetic material,

but has been used to for example bake bread, brew alcoholic beverages, produce yoghurt and cheese,

and in selective breeding programmes to improve livestock and crops.

Food security and food safety will be critical areas in the use of biotechnology, to develop and make

useful/beneficial products. It is crucial for public awareness to be raised that biotechnology does not

equal Genetically Modified Organisms “GMOs” but rather GMOs are only part of the technologies

in biotechnology. Contrary to the term “biotechnology”, it is not a single technology but rather a

group of technologies working with living cells and their molecules and having a wide range of

practical uses that improve our lives.

Application of biotechnology to the fields of agriculture, biomedicine, drug discovery and the

environment will be promoted while complying with the national policies addressing ethical values

and the safe use of biotechnology.


Biotechnology

(a) Promote scientific knowledge acquisition and development of technologies in the new and emerging sciences of biotechnology (focusing on water and food security), materials science, drug discovery, micro-electronics and laser technology

HEIsMOHSS, MOE, MAWF, NAMWATER, NCRST, MOAs

(b) Promote ethical values in the use and application of biotechnology

MET Namibia Consumer Trust, MAWF, MFMR


Space ScienceBesides basic scientific research, application of Space Science to the fields of urban planning,

agriculture & forestry, (water) resource management, navigation, national security and ICT will be

promoted.

Space science has links to many of the aforementioned areas as across-cutting and interdisciplinary

research fields. Obvious links exist to the areas of agriculture and fisheries and water via earth

observations and ICT via satellite communication. However additionally, strong links exist from basic

astronomical research to the areas of energy (shared design of telescopes and solar concentrators),

health (highly efficient light sensors for telescopes and for medical imaging), tourism (geographical

and meteorological preferred place for steadily growing astro-tourism) and ICT (handling and

analysis of “Big Data”).


Space Science

(a) Promote scientific knowledge acquisition and development of technologies in space sciences and build public awareness

NCRST UNAM, PON

(b) Establish a National Space Council and develop a National Space Science Strategy

NCRST UNAM, PON

SECTION 4:

IMPLEMENTATION,

MONITORING & EVALUATION

STRATEGY


FinancingNamibia was classified as an upper middle-income country by the World Bank in 2011, which has

led to a steady decline in international donor funding to the country’s developmental programmes.

This status quo suggests that domestic resources i.e. public and private need to be mobilised more

than ever before in order to fund flagship developmental programmes such as this NPRSTI on a

sustainable basis. The financial investments and technical support by the private sector, regional and

international donors is a critical success factor for the implementation of the NPRSTI complementing

public budget and RSTI funding.

The NPRSTI constitutes a new direction within Namibia’s research and innovation policy outlook

towards creating a sustainable environment for scientific and technological activities able to supply

strong contributions to the national objectives of industrialization and contribution with solutions

to the socio-economic needs. Investment in RSTI over the past years has been discouraging with

figures fluctuating between 0.02% and 0.04% of GDP from 2010/11 to 2012/13 as shown in Table 4.

Table 4. Evolution of RSTI expenditure in Namibia (2010 to 2014)2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014

%DGP 0.02 0.04 0.31 -N$ (mil) 18 44 35 -

Source, National Planning Commission Secretariat (May 2014)

*(-) denotes unavailable data

While Government funding and intervention should focus on the identified priority areas and

clusters of strategic importance in the coming three years, flexibility should be retained in the ability

to identify and respond to arising opportunities in emerging areas of science and technology. This

could include the allocation of ad hoc resources, including human resources and funding.

Funding for the implementation of the NPRSTI will follow the normal government budgeting

cycle and should be included in the NCRST budget under the Ministry of Education as well as

under specific sectoral budgeting processes. The creation of the National Research, Science and

Technology Fund by the RST Act 23 of 2004, and the implementation of the first calls for projects in

C H A P T E R 8 :FINANCING AND IMPLEMENTATION


2014 is introducing a key element in the Namibian public promotion of research and innovation. The

allocation of fund resources by Government to the priority areas defined in the Strategy is foreseen

as follows as shown in Table 5. These figures exclude the private sector, regional and international

development partners’ contribution to RSTI in Namibia.

Table 5: Percentage allocation of Fund resources to Research and Development (as a % of GDP)2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017

% GDP 0.2% 0.25% 0.3%N$ (mil) 256 320 380

ImplementationThe NPRSTI is intended to serve as the national strategic planning framework for the country’s RSTI

development in the coming three years. The achievement of its objectives and targets will depend

upon the success of its implementation by all stakeholders.

The NCRST will coordinate the implementation of the NPRSTI as mandated in terms of the RST Act,

while line ministries, offices and agencies are responsible for the implementation of the programme

and projects as mandated under the NPRSTI and their own mandates. The National Steering

Committee4 established for the development of the NPRSTI shall assist with the evaluation of the

implementation through Annual Reviews.

In order to facilitate the implementation of the NPRSTI, annual plans containing detailed activities

will be prepared by the mandated MOAs in consultation with the National Planning Commission

(NPC), the NCRST and other relevant stakeholders.

4 The National Steering Committee is a multi-sectorial body comprising of representatives from the public and private sectors, academic and research institutions as well as civil society and is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the NCRST


T o ensure successful implementation of the NPRSTI, a robust monitoring and evaluation

framework will be developed and put in place by the NCRST. The NCRST shall establish

measures, strategies and indicators of implementation and performance targets.

The Monitoring & Evaluation ConceptMonitoring and Evaluation constitutes a structural element in the NPRSTI attached to the goals and

logic of established research and innovation policy and strategy, covering the various steps and

components of their implementation.

Monitoring addresses the collection of regular information on the advancement of the NPRSTI

initiatives and activities planned in order to implement when necessary corrective measures and to

provide an overview of the outcomes and results achieved.

The evaluation has to provide a fundamental contribution to the preparation of the next RSTI

Programme on the basis of a review of existing policies and strategies according to the appraisal of

changes in the situation of the research system and the impacts produced. Therefore monitoring has

different goals and scope than evaluation, what will have an echo in the method, organization and

timing required for their implementation. Both of them will benefit from the existence of a basis of

quantitative information related to the objectives and targets of the planned actions as well as of the

NPRSTI as a whole. Monitoring will mean a continuous follow-up summarised in annual reports,

while the final evaluation of the NPRSTI will be performed at the end of the 3 years planned duration.

The objectives for the NPRSTI monitoring are the following:

• provide information for management

• examine actions realized compared to the expected milestones

• monitor the use of resources against programmes

• gather information to estimate programme performance and progress

With regard to the final evaluation of the Programme, its objectives are to establish a set of quantitative

and qualitative insights on:

C H A P T E R 9 :MONITORING & EVALUATION


• The degree of achievement of the goals and objectives and compliance with the provisions and

objectives established (efficiency)

• The resources, tools, procedures and management mechanisms employed (efficiency)

• The progress in the resolution of problems and needs covered by the strategy and the research

and innovation activity (relevance)

• The deviation of the factors that can pose difficulties to the achievement of specific objectives in

their future development (sustainability)

The evaluation will allow also identification of good practices in the implementation of the

Programme as well as raising conclusions and suggestions for improvement, to be used for the

review of strategies and policies for the future Programme development.

Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (RSTI) Information Management SystemThe implementation of the monitoring and evaluation system will require starting with the creation

of a RSTI information management system as planned in the strategy, so that there is supply of data

suitable in terms of quantity and / or quality.

Data will include at a first stage indicators on:

• R&D expenditure

• Research personnel

• Outcomes of research (publications, patents)

• Public budget allocated to R&D investment and its degree of execution.

• Innovation activities: private sector expenditure (expenditure made by companies)

• National and international cooperation on projects and networks

The M & E system will also comply to the standards commonly used in the international environment,

and especially in the region such as the indicators proposed by the AU-NEPAD (African Innovation

Outlook)5.

Due to lack of regular information and gaps in specific data on research and innovation in Namibia

to meet the needs of users and analysts as well as those of monitoring and evaluation, institutions

5 NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) (2014), African Innovation Outlook 2014, NPCA, Pretoria


such as the Statistics Office with qualified personnel, expertise and infrastructure will be requested

to document relevant statistics, to ensure the production of consistent, accurate and timeliness data

and indicators. Information on R&D budget and administrative data from ministries, universities

and institutions having competences in the field will be requested to establish a system capable of

providing budgetary and budget execution data. Finally, specific surveys and studies on research

and innovation results will be launched by the NCRST, namely on issues such as research outcomes,

publications, patents, etc.

NPRSTI MonitoringMonitoring of the NPRSTI will particularly target first, the initiatives defined under the strategy

lines, according to their specific objectives and resources allocated by the Programme; second, the

scientific or technological research supported by the research Fund. The responsible lead institute

for each initiative will produce an annual follow-up report and will take charge of analysing and

identifying significant impacts and changes from what was established in the initiative definition

card, which lays out the foreseen outcomes, indicators and resources planned for the initiative.

Programme monitoring will keep updated repositories with all the information reported about

every initiative related to the strategic lines as well as to the projects or activities supported by the

Programme.

In order to establish standards of quality of projects, financial and scientific audits of a sample

of projects will be performed with independent experts from each science and technology area,

reporting on the status and outcomes of the project, resources employed, problems and difficulties

observed, as well as the expected impacts.

The annual Programme monitoring report will include a set of quantitative and qualitative

information produced in a systematic manner, as follows:

- Individual monitoring reports related to each initiative and project

- Research and innovation indicators evolution

- Assessments on the operation of the Fund and other promotional instruments, as well as the

management of the programmes, including recommendations on the introduction of necessary

corrective measures.


NPRSTI EvaluationThe evaluation of the Programme will be produced at the end of the third / final year of its

development in order to provide an assessment of the results deviations on planned and impacts,

programme management and the suitability of the strategies to reach the Programme objectives.

The evaluation exercises, to be carried out with the assistance of experts, will be based on quantitative

data (indicators, initiatives and projects data), the analysis of documentary sources and exploitation

of databases, the realization of focused interviews to stakeholders and RSTI actors, as well as case

studies.

The evaluation assessment must be able to observe, document, and analyse the advance of the

results, incidents and technical and financial gaps that occurred throughout the reporting period.

The evaluation must also verify the procedures established to run and coordinate the Programme,

the level of participation achieved, the appearance of unexpected effects and the materialisation of

risk factors attributable or not to the implementation of the initiatives.

The ultimate goal and the greater utility of the evaluation will be to facilitate decision-making

regarding future continuity of the NPRSTI, as well as on the required changes and adaptations in

the objectives, strategies and methods of work and organization that are required.

The evaluation criteria will be:

• Effectiveness, degree of implementation of the planned action against the initially established

objectives in the time planned

• Efficiency, degree in which the objectives of the interventions were attained according to the

resources needed

• Relevance, adequacy of objectives and outcomes of the initiatives in relation to the characteristics

of the socio-economic environment and to the scientific, technological and productive areas of

priority as well as to the RSTI objectives and strategic lines.

• Impact, estimation of the effects of initiatives and actions in the medium and long term

• Sustainability, analysis of external or internal constraints, particularly as regards financing of the

Programme, which facilitate and assure future continuity and development of the initiatives and

the Programme as a whole.


The final evaluation report synthesizing the findings and recommendations of this NPRSTI will be

required and will provide a synthesis of the following:

• the original design of the strategy and existing instruments

• the strategic initiatives information system and indicators

• the model of governance, including the coordination and management, monitoring and

evaluation, mechanisms of administration / financial resources transfer, public dissemination

• studies of cases and benchmarking

• contribution to the policy objectives and to the progress of the research and innovation in

Namibia

Dissemination of the evaluation findings and results will be done for the benefit of the research

and innovation community as well as to provide a channel of exchange and participation in the

improvement of the NPRSTI and the RSTI policies in Namibia.


Nat

ion

al P

rogr

amm

e o

n R

esea

rch

, Sci

ence

, Tec

hn

olog

y an

d I

nn

ovat

ion

Im

ple

men

tati

on a

nd

Ou

tpu

t Fra

mew

ork

STR

ATE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

1: C

REA

TIN

G A

N E

NA

BLIN

G P

OLI

CY

AN

D R

EGU

LATO

RY

EN

VIR

ON

MEN

T R

EQU

IRED

TO

FR

AM

E

AN

D S

UPP

OR

T TH

E SC

IEN

CE

AN

DTE

CH

NO

LOG

Y D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

SP

EC

IFIC

O

BJE

CT

IVE

INIT

IAT

IVE

GO

AL

SR

ES

PO

NS

IBL

E

INS

TIT

UT

EP

AR

TN

ER

IN

ST

ITU

TIO

NS

DE

LIV

ER

AB

LE

S

(MIL

ES

TO

NE

S)

IMP

AC

T

1. F

AC

ILIT

ATE

A

N E

NA

BLIN

G

REG

ULA

TOR

Y

ENV

IRO

NM

ENT

1.1:

Dev

elop

and

re

view

pol

icie

s an

d le

gal f

ram

ewor

k

Rev

ised

RST

I Pol

icy,

A

ct a

nd r

egul

atio

ns

D

evel

op n

atio

nal

ethi

cs, I

P, IK

S Po

licie

s

NC

RST

MO

E,

MO

J,

MTI

, O

ther

st

akeh

olde

rs

Rev

iew

of t

he

RST

I Pol

icy

and

regu

latio

ns;

Rev

iew

of t

he R

STI

Act

;D

evel

op n

atio

nal

ethi

cs, I

P, IK

S Po

licie

s

Rev

ised

RST

I Po

licy,

Act

and

re

gula

tions

;

na

tiona

l eth

ics,

IP

, IK

S Po

licie

s in

pl

ace

1.2:

Und

erta

ke

a th

orou

gh

map

ping

exe

rcis

e of

the

rese

arch

and

in

nova

tion

syst

em.

Com

preh

ensi

ve

repo

rt o

n R

STI

land

scap

e in

Nam

ibia

NC

RST

NSA

Rep

ort o

f RST

I In

dica

tors

RST

I sta

tus

repo

rt

1.3:

Est

ablis

hmen

t of

the

RST

I in

dica

tors

and

da

ta g

athe

ring

pr

oced

ures

A n

atio

nal s

yste

m fo

r R

STI

indi

cato

rs a

nd

data

gat

heri

ng

NC

RST

NSA

,

Inte

rnat

iona

l R

STI A

genc

ies

Ana

lysi

s of

re

quir

emen

ts; a

nd

spec

ifica

tions

;D

esig

n of

the

syst

em;

test

ing

and

impl

emen

tatio

n

RST

I ind

icat

ors

and

data

ga

ther

ing

proc

edur

es

1.4:

Est

ablis

hmen

t of

a R

STI n

atio

nal

a pl

atfo

rm a

nd

an in

form

atio

n m

anag

emen

t sy

stem

A n

atio

nal s

yste

m fo

r R

STI

info

rmat

ion

NC

RST

NSA

,

Inte

rnat

iona

l R

STI a

genc

ies

Ana

lysi

s of

re

quir

emen

ts; a

nd

spec

ifica

tions

;D

esig

n of

the

syst

em;

test

ing

and

impl

emen

tatio

n

IMS

data

base

AP

PE

ND

IX:


2. S

ET R

ESEA

RC

H

PRIO

RIT

IES

IN

STR

ATE

GIC

AR

EAS

TO C

ON

TRIB

UTE

TO

NA

TIO

NA

L D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

ENSU

RIN

G

AD

EQU

ATE

AN

D

SUST

AIN

ABL

E FU

ND

ING

TO

SU

PPO

RT

RST

I D

EVEL

OPM

ENT

2.1:

Dev

elop

men

t an

d im

plem

enta

tion

of

natio

nal r

esea

rch

prio

ritie

s

Nat

iona

l RST

I pr

iori

ty s

etN

CR

STA

ll st

akeh

olde

rsR

epor

t on

RST

I pr

iori

ties

Info

rmat

ive

guid

e in

term

s of

the

coun

try

rese

arch

pr

iori

ties

2.2:

Set

up

stab

le

finan

cing

and

pr

oced

ures

to

man

age

the

RST

Fu

nd

RST

Fun

d m

anag

emen

t and

pr

oced

ures

in p

lace

MoF

NC

RST

, MO

EFu

nd o

bjec

tives

de

fined

;D

evel

opm

ent o

f pr

oced

ures

Func

tiona

l fu

ndin

g fr

amew

ork

in

plac

e

STR

ATE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

2: B

UIL

DIN

G R

ESEA

RC

H C

APA

CIT

IES,

INFR

AST

RU

CTU

RE

AN

D T

ECH

NIC

AL

SKIL

LS W

HIL

E

CR

EATI

NG

RES

EAR

CH

GR

OU

PS W

ITH

AC

RIT

ICA

L M

ASS

TO

GU

AR

AN

TEE

THE

STR

ENG

TH A

ND

SU

STA

INA

BILI

TY O

F TH

E

RES

EAR

CH

AN

D IN

NO

VA

TIO

N S

YST

EMS

PE

CIF

IC

OB

JEC

TIV

EIN

ITIA

TIV

EG

OA

LS

RE

SP

ON

SIB

LE

INS

TIT

UT

EP

AR

TN

ER

IN

ST

ITU

TIO

NS

DE

LIV

ER

AB

LE

S

(MIL

ES

TO

NE

S)

IMP

AC

T

3. B

UIL

DIN

G

HU

MA

N

RES

OU

RC

ES

CA

PAC

ITY

A

ND

EN

SUR

E A

LIG

NM

ENT

TO

SUPP

OR

T R

STI

DEV

ELO

PMEN

T W

HIL

E C

ON

SOLI

DA

TIN

G

AN

D Q

UA

LIFY

ING

R

ESEA

RC

H

MA

NA

GEM

ENT

3.1:

Str

engt

heni

ng

of R

STI t

rain

ing

at a

ll le

vels

of

Nam

ibia

’s

educ

atio

n sy

stem

Rev

iew

ing

and

alig

nmen

t of t

he

educ

atio

n cu

rric

ulum

to

sup

port

the

need

s of

the

econ

omy

MO

E N

CR

ST, H

EIs,

N

TA, N

IED

, re

leva

nt

stak

ehol

ders

in

targ

et a

reas

/se

ctor

s

Impr

oved

sup

ply

chai

n of

RST

I pr

ofes

sion

als

Incr

ease

in

the

num

ber

of

prof

essi

onal

s to

ad

dres

s th

e ne

eds

of th

e ec

onom

y

3.2:

Dev

elop

a

supp

ort f

ram

ewor

k fo

r po

st-g

radu

ate

and

doct

oral

ed

ucat

ion

To d

evel

op a

fr

amew

ork

for

new

po

st-g

radu

ates

, pos

t-do

ctor

al a

nd s

enio

r re

sear

cher

s

NC

RST

NSF

AF,

HEI

sW

ell t

rain

ed

prof

essi

onal

s in

RST

I20

trai

ned

prof

essi

onal

s by

20

17


3.3:

Dev

elop

men

t of

res

earc

h un

its

as w

ell a

s tr

aini

ng

of r

esea

rch

tech

nici

ans

and

expe

rts

To e

stab

lish

rese

arch

un

its in

inst

itutio

ns;

To tr

ain

tech

nica

l pe

rson

nel;

and

To

dev

elop

a q

ualit

y m

anag

emen

t sys

tem

NC

RST

HEI

sC

onso

lidat

ed

rese

arch

gro

ups;

Q

ualifi

ed te

chni

cal

pers

onne

l at

accr

edite

d la

bora

tori

es in

re

sear

ch c

entr

es a

nd

inst

itutio

ns

5 re

sear

ch u

nits

w

ith c

ritic

al m

ass

by 2

017;

15 tr

aine

d pr

ofes

sion

als

by

2017

4. D

EVEL

OP

A N

ATI

ON

AL

STR

ATE

GY

FO

R R

STI

INFR

AST

RU

CTU

RE

ENSU

RIN

G

STA

KEH

OLD

ER’S

A

CC

ESS

4.1:

Con

duct

ne

eds

anal

ysis

for

acce

ss to

res

earc

h in

fras

truc

ture

s

Dev

elop

a n

atio

nal

stra

tegy

for

RST

I in

fras

truc

ture

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Nat

iona

l In

fras

truc

ture

Aud

it R

epor

t (ne

ed/

avai

labl

e);

Dev

elop

a n

atio

nal

stra

tegy

for

RST

I in

fras

truc

ture

; Im

plem

enta

tion

of

the

stra

tegy

in p

hase

s

Rep

ort o

n th

e st

atus

of R

STI

infr

astr

uctu

re in

N

amib

ia;

Mai

nten

ance

of

exi

stin

g in

fras

truc

ture

an

d de

velo

pmen

t of

new

in

fras

truc

ture

4.

2: E

arm

ark

fund

ing

to

finan

ce r

esea

rch

infr

astr

uctu

res

App

rove

d de

velo

pmen

t bu

dget

for

the

cons

truc

tion

and

upgr

adin

g of

res

earc

h in

fras

truc

ture

s

MoF

N

PC,

MO

E,

NC

RST

,

Don

or A

genc

ies

Mob

ilizi

ng o

f fun

ds;

Upg

radi

ng o

f exi

stin

g in

fras

truc

ture

and

co

nstr

uctio

n ne

w

infr

astr

uctu

re in

ph

ases

Impr

oved

ac

cess

to R

&D

in

fras

truc

ture

; 4

x U

pgra

ded

infr

astr

uctu

re b

y 20

17;

2 x

New

in

fras

truc

ture

by

2017

4.3:

Pol

icy

of

open

acc

ess

to

infr

astr

uctu

re a

s w

ell a

s ne

twor

king

labo

rato

ries

and

lib

rari

es

To a

dopt

a p

olic

y of

op

en a

cces

s an

d se

tup

own

open

acc

ess

repo

sito

ries

NC

RST

All

inst

itutio

ns

man

agin

g R

STI

infr

astr

uctu

res

(HEI

s, M

OA

s )

Util

isat

ion

of R

&D

in

fras

truc

ture

Opt

imal

ut

ilisa

tion

of R

&D

in

fras

truc

ture


ST

RA

TE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

3:

PR

OM

OT

ING

CO

OP

ER

AT

ION

IN

RE

SE

AR

CH

AN

D I

NN

OV

AT

ION

AC

TIV

ITIE

S R

ES

UL

TIN

G I

N

AN

IM

PR

OV

ED

RE

SP

ON

SE

TO

EC

ON

OM

IC A

ND

SO

CIA

L C

HA

LL

EN

GE

S

SP

EC

IFIC

O

BJE

CT

IVE

INIT

IAT

IVE

GO

AL

SR

ES

PO

NS

IBL

EIN

ST

ITU

TE

PA

RT

NE

R

INS

TIT

UT

ION

SD

EL

IVE

RA

BL

ES

(M

ILE

ST

ON

ES

)IM

PA

CT

5. E

STA

BLIS

H

THE

NEC

ESSA

RY

PA

RTN

ERSH

IPS

AN

D

STR

ENG

THEN

C

OO

PER

ATI

ON

IN

RES

EAR

CH

AN

D

INN

OVA

TIO

N

AC

TIV

ITIE

S

5.1:

Str

engt

heni

ng

of th

e N

CR

ST

capa

city

to

effe

ctiv

ely

coor

dina

te th

e de

velo

pmen

t and

im

plem

enta

tion

of S

TI p

olic

ies

and

prog

ram

s

To s

tren

gthe

n th

e ca

paci

ty o

f N

CR

ST fo

r ef

fect

ive

coor

dina

tion

To d

evel

op a

fr

amew

ork

and

proc

ess

for

esta

blis

hing

link

ages

NC

RST

NC

CI,

MTI

Incr

ease

d co

llabo

ratio

n w

ith

othe

r co

mpa

nies

an

d pu

blic

res

earc

h in

stitu

tions

A fu

nctio

nal

inst

itutio

nal

coor

dina

tion

fram

ewor

k

6. P

RO

MO

TE

REG

ION

AL

AN

D

INTE

RN

ATI

ON

AL

CO

OPE

RA

TIO

N

6.1:

Str

engt

hen

colla

bora

tion

with

reg

iona

l an

d in

tern

atio

nal

inst

itutio

ns

To s

tren

gthe

n co

llabo

ratio

n w

ith r

egio

nal

and

inte

rnat

iona

l in

stitu

tions

NC

RST

MFA

Incr

ease

d re

sear

ch

colla

bora

tion

Incr

ease

d co

llabo

ratio

n w

ith r

egio

nal

and

inte

rnat

iona

l in

stitu

tions

6.2:

Inve

st in

ta

rget

ed b

ilate

ral

coop

erat

ion

effo

rts

To in

vest

in ta

rget

ed

bila

tera

l coo

pera

tion

NC

RST

MFA

Incr

ease

d gl

obal

re

leva

nce

of

Nam

ibia

’s S

TI e

ffor

ts

Incr

ease

d ac

tive

bila

tera

l co

oper

atio

n

6.3:

Con

solid

ate

com

mun

ities

of

Nam

ibia

n R

STI

prof

essi

onal

s in

fo

reig

n co

untr

ies

To id

entif

y an

d cr

eate

link

ages

of

coop

erat

ion

and

acce

ss to

inve

stm

ent,

trai

ning

and

exp

ertis

e gl

obal

ly in

RST

I

NC

RST

, HEI

sM

FAN

etw

orks

of

coop

erat

ion

and

acce

ss to

inve

stm

ent,

trai

ning

and

exp

ertis

e gl

obal

ly in

RST

I

Incr

ease

d ne

twor

k of

co

oper

atio

n an

d ac

cess

to

inve

stm

ent,

trai

ning

and

ex

pert

ise

glob

ally

in

RST

I


ST

RA

TE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

4: D

ISS

EM

INA

TIN

G S

CIE

NT

IFIC

AN

D T

EC

HN

OL

OG

ICA

L K

NO

WL

ED

GE

SP

EC

IFIC

O

BJE

CT

IVE

INIT

IAT

IVE

GO

AL

SR

ES

PO

NS

IBL

EIN

ST

ITU

TE

PA

RT

NE

R

INS

TIT

UT

ION

SD

EL

IVE

RA

BL

ES

(M

ILE

ST

ON

ES

)IM

PA

CT

7. P

UBL

IC

SUPP

OR

T TO

R

ESEA

RC

HER

S’

RES

ULT

S

7.1:

Pro

mot

e di

ssem

inat

ion

and

publ

icat

ion

of

rese

arch

res

ults

Incr

ease

d pu

blic

atio

ns b

y re

sear

cher

s in

loca

l an

d in

tern

atio

nal

jour

nals

NC

RST

HEI

s, a

ll st

akeh

olde

rs20

% in

crea

se in

pu

blic

atio

ns b

y re

sear

cher

s in

loca

l an

d in

tern

atio

nal

jour

nals

Res

earc

h an

d re

adin

g cu

lture

es

tabl

ishe

d

7.2:

Est

ablis

h a

rew

ard

and

reco

gniti

on s

yste

m

for

RST

I ach

ieve

rs

and

achi

evem

ents

Esta

blis

h a

syst

em

for

rew

ard

and

reco

gniti

on in

RST

I

NC

RST

MO

E, M

TIR

ewar

d an

d re

cogn

ition

sys

tem

es

tabl

ishe

d

Ince

ntiv

es a

nd

reco

gniti

on fo

r in

nova

tions

and

te

chno

logi

es;

Prom

otio

n of

in

nova

tive

capa

bilit

y8.

PR

OM

OTE

PU

BLIC

A

WA

REN

ESS

ON

TH

E IM

POR

TAN

CE

OF

RST

I

8.1:

Dev

elop

an

d im

plem

ent

prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

the

publ

ic a

bout

the

impo

rtan

ce o

f the

R

STI t

o ec

onom

ic

deve

lopm

ent

Incr

ease

d su

ppor

t of

pub

lic fo

r R

STI

inve

stm

ents

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Aw

aren

ess

prog

ram

me

esta

blis

hed

Insp

ired

you

ng

scie

ntis

ts;

A k

now

ledg

eabl

e pu

blic

in R

STI

8.2:

Dev

elop

and

im

plem

ent s

peci

fic

prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

polit

icia

ns

and

spec

ific

deci

sion

mak

ers

com

mun

ities

Incr

ease

d su

ppor

t by

polic

y m

ake

for

RST

I in

vest

men

ts

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

polit

icia

ns

and

spec

ific

deci

sion

m

aker

s es

tabl

ishe

d

Targ

et fo

r R

STI

inve

stm

ent

achi

eved


ST

RA

TE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

4: D

ISS

EM

INA

TIN

G S

CIE

NT

IFIC

AN

D T

EC

HN

OL

OG

ICA

L K

NO

WL

ED

GE

SP

EC

IFIC

O

BJE

CT

IVE

INIT

IAT

IVE

GO

AL

SR

ES

PO

NS

IBL

EIN

ST

ITU

TE

PA

RT

NE

R

INS

TIT

UT

ION

SD

EL

IVE

RA

BL

ES

(M

ILE

ST

ON

ES

)IM

PA

CT

7. P

UBL

IC

SUPP

OR

T TO

R

ESEA

RC

HER

S’

RES

ULT

S

7.1:

Pro

mot

e di

ssem

inat

ion

and

publ

icat

ion

of

rese

arch

res

ults

Incr

ease

d pu

blic

atio

ns b

y re

sear

cher

s in

loca

l an

d in

tern

atio

nal

jour

nals

NC

RST

HEI

s, a

ll st

akeh

olde

rs20

% in

crea

se in

pu

blic

atio

ns b

y re

sear

cher

s in

loca

l an

d in

tern

atio

nal

jour

nals

Res

earc

h an

d re

adin

g cu

lture

es

tabl

ishe

d

7.2:

Est

ablis

h a

rew

ard

and

reco

gniti

on s

yste

m

for

RST

I ach

ieve

rs

and

achi

evem

ents

Esta

blis

h a

syst

em

for

rew

ard

and

reco

gniti

on in

RST

I

NC

RST

MO

E, M

TIR

ewar

d an

d re

cogn

ition

sys

tem

es

tabl

ishe

d

Ince

ntiv

es a

nd

reco

gniti

on fo

r in

nova

tions

and

te

chno

logi

es;

Prom

otio

n of

in

nova

tive

capa

bilit

y8.

PR

OM

OTE

PU

BLIC

A

WA

REN

ESS

ON

TH

E IM

POR

TAN

CE

OF

RST

I

8.1:

Dev

elop

an

d im

plem

ent

prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

the

publ

ic a

bout

the

impo

rtan

ce o

f the

R

STI t

o ec

onom

ic

deve

lopm

ent

Incr

ease

d su

ppor

t of

pub

lic fo

r R

STI

inve

stm

ents

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Aw

aren

ess

prog

ram

me

esta

blis

hed

Insp

ired

you

ng

scie

ntis

ts;

A k

now

ledg

eabl

e pu

blic

in R

STI

8.2:

Dev

elop

and

im

plem

ent s

peci

fic

prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

polit

icia

ns

and

spec

ific

deci

sion

mak

ers

com

mun

ities

Incr

ease

d su

ppor

t by

polic

y m

ake

for

RST

I in

vest

men

ts

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Prog

ram

mes

ta

rget

ing

polit

icia

ns

and

spec

ific

deci

sion

m

aker

s es

tabl

ishe

d

Targ

et fo

r R

STI

inve

stm

ent

achi

eved

ST

RA

TE

GIC

PR

IOR

ITY

5: P

RO

MO

TIN

G I

NN

OV

AT

ION

IN

TH

E E

CO

NO

MIC

AN

D S

OC

IAL

SE

CT

OR

SS

PE

CIF

IC

OB

JEC

TIV

EIN

ITIA

TIV

EG

OA

LS

RE

SP

ON

SIB

LE

INS

TIT

UT

EP

AR

TN

ER

IN

ST

ITU

TIO

NS

DE

LIV

ER

AB

LE

S

(MIL

ES

TO

NE

S)

IMP

AC

T

9. P

RO

MO

TE

KN

OW

LED

GE

TRA

NSF

ER

TOW

AR

DS

FIN

AL

USE

RS

9.1:

Pro

mot

ion

of p

riva

te-

publ

ic r

esea

rch

coop

erat

ion

proj

ects

To p

rom

ote

priv

ate-

publ

ic r

esea

rch

coop

erat

ion

proj

ects

NC

RST

MTI

, MO

F, B

ON

, D

BN, S

ME

bank

Bett

er u

nder

stan

ding

of

the

bene

fits

of

R&

D;

Hig

her

com

mitm

ent

to R

&D

;Im

prov

ed

man

agem

ent o

f R&

D;

Impr

oved

bus

ines

s st

rate

gy a

t com

pany

le

vel

A fu

nctio

nal

priv

ate-

publ

ic

coop

erat

ion

fram

ewor

k

9.2:

Pro

mot

e th

e ap

plic

atio

n an

d co

mm

erci

aliz

atio

n of

res

ults

and

pr

oduc

ts o

f re

sear

ch

To p

rom

ote

the

appl

icat

ion

and

com

mer

cial

izat

ion

of

resu

lts a

nd p

rodu

cts

of r

esea

rch

NC

RST

MTI

, res

earc

h in

stitu

tions

, N

CC

I

Con

trac

t Sig

ned

betw

een

a re

sear

ch

inst

itutio

n an

d an

ent

repr

eneu

r co

mpa

ny

80%

of

rese

arch

res

ults

co

mm

unic

ated

to

end

user

s th

roug

h m

edia

9.3:

Pro

mot

ion

of

tech

nolo

gy s

ervi

ces

and

inno

vatio

n ne

twor

ks

To p

rom

ote

of

tech

nolo

gy s

ervi

ces

and

inno

vatio

n ne

twor

ks

NC

RST

MTI

, res

earc

h in

stitu

tions

, N

CC

I

Con

trac

t Sig

ned

betw

een

a re

sear

ch

inst

itutio

n an

d an

ent

repr

eneu

r co

mpa

ny

80%

of

tech

nolo

gy

serv

ices

and

in

nova

tion

netw

orks

co

mm

unic

ated

to

end

user

s th

roug

h m

edia

9.4:

Fac

ilita

ting

the

esta

blis

hmen

t of

tech

nolo

gy

ente

rpri

ses

To fa

cilit

ate

the

esta

blis

hmen

t of

tech

nolo

gy

ente

rpri

ses

NC

RST

All

stak

ehol

ders

Con

trac

t sig

ned

betw

een

a re

sear

ch

inst

itutio

n an

d an

ent

repr

eneu

r co

mpa

ny

1 co

mpa

ny

resu

ltant

from

ea

ch R

&D

out

put


10. P

RO

VID

E BA

SIC

R

ESO

UR

CES

FO

R

INN

OVA

TIO

N

10.1

: Dev

elop

a

fram

ewor

k to

su

ppor

t ind

ustr

y fe

llow

ship

and

kn

owle

dge

tran

sfer

pa

rtne

rshi

ps

sche

me

for

stud

ents

at a

ll le

vels

To d

evel

op a

n in

dust

ry fe

llow

ship

fr

amew

ork

MO

EM

TI, N

CC

I, H

EIs

Col

labo

ratio

n be

twee

n in

dust

ry a

nd

R&

D in

stitu

tions

Impr

oved

co

llabo

ratio

n be

twee

n in

dust

ry

and

R&

D

inst

itutio

ns

10.2

: Fin

anci

al

ince

ntiv

es fo

r in

nova

tion

To

prov

ide

ince

ntiv

es

to e

ncou

rage

sc

ient

ific

and

tech

nolo

gica

l R&

D

NC

RST

MTI

New

tech

nolo

gy

ente

rpri

ses

deve

lope

dIn

crea

sed

tech

nolo

gy

ente

rpri

ses

10.3

: Est

ablis

hmen

t of

an

inno

vatio

n hu

b

To e

stab

lish

an

inno

vatio

n hu

bN

CR

STA

ll st

akeh

olde

rsEs

tabl

ishm

ent o

f an

in

nova

tion

hub

Tech

nolo

gy a

nd

R&

D s

uppo

rt

faci

lity


N O T E S :

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON RESEARCH, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tel: +264 61 431 7000 | Fax: +264 61 229 925

Private Bag 13253 | Windhoek | Namibia

Cnr Louis Raymond & Grant Webster Street | Olympia | Windhoek

THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME

ON RESEARCH, SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

NPRSTI2014/15 to 2016/17

REPUBLIC OF NAMBIA

the national programme on research, … 2014 to...technology and innovation nprsti 2014/15 to...

Documents