Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) acting CEO Dr Molefi Motuku has assured that his organisation will continue to meet the challenges facing it and the country. He was speaking at the biennial CSIR Excellence Awards ceremony recently held in Pretoria. “It is an exciting time for science, engineering and technology as we continue to grow and adapt,” he affirmed. The CSIR would continue to be responsive to national priorities and challenges.

He highlighted that there were both great challenges and opportunities, both at national and global levels. New technologies, he noted, were making the world smaller and more connected than ever before. “At the same time, there are unique challenges,” he added.

“The world of research and development is an exciting area in which to work,” he said. The CSIR would continue to seek to attract people to join it, to ensure its continued strength and relevance. “It is the people who make a difference, including all of you (CSIR staff) who have joined the world of science. Together, we are working to build an exciting future. Our employees and partners have continued to meet the challenges ... and excel.”

“These awards recognise extraordinary organisationwide achievement,” explained Motuku. They encompass all CSIR employees and promote inclusivity. “You are truly our greatest assets today and tomorrow . . . Help us shape the future of this multidisciplinary research and development organisation.”

Regarding the CSIR’s planned Visitors Centre, this will serve to showcase both the organisation’s past and its current activities as well as to popularise science, engineering and technology to young people and the public in general. “The CSIR is an organisation that does very well but is little known to the general public,” pointed out CSIR group executive: strategic alliances and communication Rachel Chikwamba in an interview with Engineering News. “So, the purpose of the Visitors Centre is to make our work accessible to the public.”

The centre will contain historical relics from the past of the CSIR as well as displays highlighting its current activities. There will also be displays and demonstrations to explain what science is all about. There will also be temporary exhibitions by different groups and disciplines of scientists to explain their fields. In addition, there is a plan for programmes of guest lectures at the centre, by scientists both from within the CSIR and without.

“We are likely to construct a new building for the Visitors Centre,” she stated. “It’s one of our near-term projects to be completed within the next three to five years.” The basic budget for the new centre is included in the council’s property, plant and equipment investment budget, but additional funding will be required to complete the project. The final budget for the centre has not yet been determined. “A significant dedicated budget is being sought.”

The Visitors Centre forms part of the CSIR Campus of the Future programme, for which a master plan has been developed. “The purpose of the master plan is to revitalise our infrastructure and restore some of the grand architecture which is part of our heritage,” she explained. “Much of the current campus is old – it was established in 1945.” The intent is to convert the campus into a twenty-first century facility, “fit for purpose”, and attractive to especially young researchers. This generation is both mobile and “connected”. “We need an environment that stimulates their creativity.”

“A major driver for the future campus is energy efficiency – to create a green campus,” highlighted Chikwamba. “We intend to generate our own electricity to sustain operations at our main campus and do likewise at our other CSIR campuses.”