The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) highlighted its abilities to support the development of the country’s industries at a recent event at its complex in Pretoria. “For industry development, we showcased to our stakeholders that we have the national infrastructure and the national expertise to support industrial development and sustain it,” stated key account manager CSIR Aerospace Marié Botha.

“The CSIR utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to support industry development through the high-tech development and enhancement of industry,” she stressed. “It’s not only about technology. We ensure sustainable industrial development by looking at supply chain improvements, standards and accreditation, and enterprise enhancement for sustainable business models.”

The council is seeking to develop new areas of cooperation with business to develop local industry. It is doing so by putting the spotlight on its achievements so far. These include the Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre, the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative and the Radar and Electronic Warfare Transformative Enterprise Development Programme. These programmes are also supported by the relevant national government departments – the departments of Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, and Defence.

The event was called CSIR Live, which was held over four days. The first day was designated Safety & Security Day, the second day Human Capital Development Day, the third . . . Industry Day and the fourth . . . Defence Day. Each day had its own specific and targeted invitation list and each day also had its own specific CSIR “champion”. Botha was the “champion” for Industry Day.

“Everything on display is across CSIR units, showing a holistic, multidisciplinary approach,” she pointed out. “It was important for us to get a good mix of industry representatives here, from OEMs (original-equipment manufacturers), policymakers and from the supply chains – and, in doing so, pulling together the national system of innovation optimally.”

As part of Industry Day, the CSIR dIsplayed and demonstrated integrated technologies relevant to national industrial development. These included its SeaFAR system, its Datadot reader project and its Wide Area Surveillance Technology.

“SeaFAR is a maritime awareness system, using satellite-based imaging,” explained CSIR defence, peace, safety and security operations manager Nivan Moodley. The system employs data fusion – the data coming from multiple sources, including both radar and visual wavelength satellite sensors, vessel transponder signals, geoinformation systems and vessel registration and record systems.

Regarding the Datadot reader, three or four years ago, all new vehicles in South Africa have had to be sprayed with data-containing microdots called datadots. These allow the authorities to determine whether a vehicle has been stolen or not. There has been, however, one drawback: there has been no hand-held datadot detector (they are invisible to the human eye) and reader available. “We are in the process of developing a hand-held reader,” he reported. “We have proved the concept, we have applied for the patents and we are now in the process of miniaturising the technology.”

The Wide Area Surveillance System is a camera-based technology that gives a 360° view, in one image, around a vehicle. “Such a technology can be used in autonomous vehicles,” he pointed out.