The implementation of STI Strategies and Roadmap’s, such as the Waste RDI Roadmap (2015-2023) has shown that such strategic initiatives, with core funding from government, can be highly catalytic in building local capability, strengthening R&D and innovation, and in moving a sector forward strategically.
South Africa’s Circular Economy Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Strategy (2025) has prioritised three resource-intensive economic sectors for implementation – mining, agriculture and manufacturing.
Four priority areas, or clusters have been identified – strategic planning, technology solutions, resources and environment, and society.
Strategic planning: Building and strengthening the basis and application of strategic analysis and advice for the purposes of evidence-based decision-making to inform strategy formulation, planning and its execution and management.
Technology solutions: Designing, developing, evaluating, demonstrating, localizing and deploying technologies – both local and inbound – for customer-driven performance improvement.
Resources and environment: Strengthening the ability to identify, monitor, evaluate and report on environmental impacts of resource extraction and use, and the environmental benefits of adopting circular practices, in order to inform better targeted and more effective responses.
Society: Deepen our understanding of resource-related opportunities and threats, to increase the ability to influence perceptions and practice positively.