R&D INNOVATION TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT SAMERDI LAUNCH

Towards the end of 2022, the South African Mining Extraction Research and Development Innovation (Samerdi) strategy was launched at a cer emony hosted by the CSIR in Pretoria.

By Dineo Phoshoko

Inside Mining was invited to the ceremony, which was attended by different stakeholders including representatives of participating universities, the Minerals Council South Africa and the CSIR. Dr Kaven Naidoo, group executive: Business Excellence and Integration at the CSIR, highlighted the significance of the launch, acknowledging this biggest ever public-private partnership between the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Minerals Council South Africa. “We are really excited about this journey to create viable and sustainable solutions to advance the South African mining sector,” Naidoo said.

Samerdi strategic objectives

Johan le Roux from the Mandela Mining Precinct gave an overview of the Samerdi research centres and explained that the strategy is an outcome of the Mining Phakisa process between 2015 and 2016. “The decision was made that one of the programmes needed to take responsibility for the implementation of that strategy,” explained Le Roux. This resulted in the establishment of the Mandela Mining Precinct.

“The responsibility of the Precinct is therefore to implement the Samerdi centres. One of the key areas is to revitalise the South African mining R&D capacity and capability. That is at the heart of the Samerdi strategy.” Another area of focus is youth development and, in turn, developing mining research capacity and capability.

Le Roux outlined four strategic objectives of the Samerdi research centres as follows:

1. Re-establish the mining and research capacity and capability.

2. Build the network between the science councils, universities, industry and government to contribute to what is required within the mining space.

3. Take research outcomes and commercialise them, creating new opportunities for suppliers in the mining industry.

4. Establish an effective, official and sustainable public-private partnership. He also explained that the research centres would be established at four universities, namely the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Wits University, the University of Pretoria (UP), and the University of the Free State (UFS). “These centres will work hand in hand with the programmes of the Mandela Mining Precinct.” As part of the implementation process, contracts have been signed with the participating universities. Le Roux expressed gratitude for the universities’ partnership, leadership and strong ownership in