News
The AI Expo Africa is a mainstay event on the calendar for AI practitioners and technology enthusiasts across the African continent, boasting a community of over fifty thousand members. With the rapid increase in attention placed on AI and the successes of the previous six annual events, the 7th edition of the AI Expo Africa became one of the largest business gatherings of its kind on the African content, attended by enterprise buyers, government stakeholders, private sector decision makers, international trade missions, vendors, small, medium and micro enterprises and global brands, all focused on real-world business applications that can add value to businesses and operations.
On Monday, 18 November 2024, the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) an entity of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI) hosts the 2024 Mining Technology and Innovation Showcase event at the CSIR International Convention Centre.
Population growth and rising demand are putting water demand from rivers in the Western Cape, such as the Berg River, under pressure. This Berg-Breede Catchment is one of seven important water source areas identified and mapped for the Western Cape. This is just one of the issues discussed by water experts at an indaba on water security in the Berg-Breede Catchment.
The importance of conserving oceans came under the spotlight at this year’s 7th International Marine Conservation Congress, held from 13 to 18 October 2024 at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town. Joining the marine science research community at the conference was a team of researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Tonnes of waste are produced daily, and waste management issues are common across communities worldwide. The four-day event attracted a staggering 350 plus oral and poster presentations. Stimulating thematic sessions offered engagement opportunities for delegates to participate in and apply their minds towards addressing how innovative methodologies can turn trash into wealth from recycled materials.
Researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) made an impression with their insight and relevant findings. On the second day, CSIR principal scientist Prof. Linda Godfrey set the scene during the conference’s plenary session, delivering a well-received keynote address titled, “What will it take to fix South Africa’s broken waste management system?” She provided valuable insights into the challenges and solutions needed to address the current issues in waste management, emphasising the importance of innovation and collaboration.
CSIR senior researcher Dr Valentina Russo joined experts, innovators, thought leaders and key stakeholders from across Africa at this year’s Africa Waste is Wealth Conference 2024 (AWWS2024), held from 8 to 9 October in Nairobi, Kenya. Russo’s participation resulted from the CSIR’s collaboration with the Pew Charitable Trust. She urged for the strengthening of policy frameworks, wide participation and a deeper understanding of the waste management landscape for a circular economy.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande will launch a state-of-the-art facility, the Transport Safety Lab (TSL), on Thursday, 24 October 2024, at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Collaborations between Africa and Europe in Earth Observation (EO) have a rich history spanning decades.
The African Space Strategy of the African Union recognises the importance of EO as a crucial data and information source to address Africa’s challenges.
EO satellites of the Copernicus Programme provide large volumes of data over the African continent annually. This data, once processed, can be utilised to support a variety of Africa’s information needs to support research and development (R&D) and applications to assist in economic development.
On Tuesday, 8 October 2024, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) hosts a hybrid media briefing where cybersecurity experts will present the findings of four national cybersecurity surveys conducted by the CSIR. In the 2023/24 financial year, the CSIR commissioned the national cybersecurity surveys working with partners such as the Cybersecurity Hub under the Department of Digital Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT).