Draft White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation neglects to prioritise issues of performance and human capability

Abstract

The release for public comment of the Draft 2018 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation marks the culmination of a lengthy internal process within the Department of Science and Technology (DST). As noted in the Minister’s Foreword to the Draft White Paper, the document is intended to replace both the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology and the 2008 Ten-Year Innovation Plan. Its publication is the outcome of a strategic project initiated and driven several years ago by the then Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, which has involved several cycles of input from members of the DST and its associated entities, such as the National Intellectual Property Management Office and the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and wide consultation with external experts and consultants.