CSIR aeronautical research contribution to the RSA aerospace industry: a historical perspective

Abstract

South Africa had a strong centrally planned mission oriented approach to R&D investment during the pre-1994 era. Between 1990 and 1994, the Apartheid government terminated this strategy and as a result, the R&D spending decreased from 1.1% to 0.7% of GDP. Post 1994, Science and Technology was seen as an instrument to help address the socio-economic needs in South Africa and subsequent policies were aimed at growing S&T investment and capacity. In the pre-1994 era, one of the national R&D mission topics centred on achieving independence in South Africa’s defence requirements. The manner in which this was achieved was by means of backwards integration of the national system of innovation. This process of local assembly, local product improvement, re-engineering and ultimate new local product development, together with focussed R&D programmes, enabled the SA aerospace and defence industry to develop and support its own equipment such as the Rooivalk, Ratel and guided weapons such as and the V3 air-to-air missile. The role of aeronautics R&D has not been explicitly highlighted in past publications. This paper aims to focus on the contribution and the mechanism of aeronautics research in South Africa. Aeronautics research in South Africa, based at the CSIR, gave rise to a number of spin-off companies and products – for example the establishment of Denel Dynamics (guided weapons), the manufacture of the Rooivalk attack helicopter and the establishment of a number of UAV programmes. A focussed research approach in aeronautics, especially DPSS, can make it possible to once again lead the industry and the South African aerospace industry in the development of appropriate research and technology which could help increase the global competitiveness of the industry, increase innovation and thereby create wealth and improve the quality of life of South African citizens