A unit of the CSIR: - Impact through research, development (R&D) and Innovation in the information and communication technology (ICT) and the application thereof • Established in April 2005 – now the largest concentration of ICT Researchers in South Africa - 247 staff and students in two main locations in Pretoria and Cape Town - Active international R&D collaboration with partners in Africa, Europe and Asia • CSIR Meraka Institute produces: - Local experts in ICT - Local ICT technology - Local innovations

1. Nicki Koorbanally
R&D Outcomes Manager
Meraka Institute
19 October 2011
Translating intellectual assets into impact –
Building innovation capacity with support
from SAFIPA

2. © CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

3. Emerging from the crisis in Africa
“What would it take for Africa to create the jobs needed to absorb
the growing youth population, grow incomes and increase
prosperity for all?
One of the main answers to this question is INNOVATION.
For Africa to claim its place in emerging economies, it must adopt
and invent new ideas and technologies to create value.”
Innovation for Growth in Africa – Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, World Bank, April 2011
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

4. CSIR Meraka Institute
VISION
The vision is that Meraka will be recognised for the contribution that its
Research, Development and Innovation (R,D&I) in information and
communication technology and cyber-infrastructure has made in accelerating
South Africa's development towards an Information Society, where
everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge to
their individual and collective benefit.
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

5. CSIR Meraka Institute
• A unit of the CSIR:
- Impact through research, development (R&D) and
Innovation in the information and communication
technology (ICT) and the application thereof
• Established in April 2005 – now the largest
concentration of ICT Researchers in South Africa
- 247 staff and students in two main locations in
Pretoria and Cape Town
- Active international R&D collaboration with partners
in Africa, Europe and Asia
• CSIR Meraka Institute produces:
- Local experts in ICT
- Local ICT technology
- Local innovations
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

6. Why focus on innovation?
OECD (2004) describes innovation & creativity as essential
for sustainable growth & economic development. Several
core conditions must exist:
• Strong standards, sound policies, open trade
• Effective enforcement of IP protection
• Investment in strong, sustainable fundamental R&D
infrastructure
• Mechanisms to promote the science-innovation interface, &
• Education at all levels
Further emphasis on IP protection as a central public policy
pillar on which knowledge-based industries and global
markets of the 21st Century rest, providing an increasingly
critical legal and policy toolkit for spurring innovation, for
stimulating the investments needed to develop and market
new innovations, and for diffusing technology and other
knowledge in socially beneficial ways.
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

7. SAFIPA Project - Our approach
• Project driven by R&D Outcomes Team supported by
South African and Finnish Experts
• IP Management and Technology Transfer
- Integral part of the R&D process
- It is about responsible R&D management
- It is a shared responsibility
• Change behaviour
- Training and awareness
- Providing resources
- Simplicity of engagement
• Innovate or stagnate
- Keep up or get left behind – the world is constantly moving
- Innovation is fun
- Demystifying innovation - “The perception of the creative process
is still based on images of inspired geniuses having Eureka
moments rather than the well-managed diligence of ordinary
people!”
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

8. “The perception of the creative process is still
based on images of inspired geniuses having
Eureka moments rather than the well-managed
diligence of ordinary people.
We think of INNOVATION not as the mysterious
gift of the talented few, but as the everyday task
of connecting things that don't normally go
together. That means taking risks, pushing the
envelope and challenging the status quo”.
Moment, Momentum Publication
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

9. Inspired geniuses
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

10. Managing diligence of ordinary people
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

11. The Stanford way
“The way we work is our most important innovation.”
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

12. R, D & I Approach
Enabling a healthy and sustainable “pipeline” across the
entire innovation value chain
Idea Generation Conversion Diffusion
In-house Cross External Selection Development Spread
Cutting
Renewal/ Human Capital Intellectual Research Technology Transfer &
Emerging Development Assets Advancement Commercialisation
Research
Adaptation of TATA Innometer model

13. Intellectual Asset Management

An asset is something that needs to be used in order
to be an “asset”

Intellectual Asset Management is the process of
consistently turning knowledge into value…
1 2
Create Secure
4 3
Exploit Protect

14. Why focus on intellectual assets and
impact

We need to translate our knowledge, experience and
insight into solutions that impact on society

In other words, our core capability must transform
from developing new knowledge, to consistently
translating new knowledge into impact

Increase customer and stakeholder confidence
through value creation, ability to demonstrate impact,
and optimal return on investment

Improve financial sustainability through diverse
income streams

Position as a credible, reputable organisation and to
attract, retain and develop talent
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

15. Better positioning for innovation
• Alignment of TTO, business development and strategic research
management
• Research initiated with a clear purpose of the end-goals and
beneficiaries
• Techniques to promote idea generation and renewed pipeline, eg.
Foresighting
• Continuous awareness about innovation and intellectual asset
management – communication!
• Increasing awareness of exploitation models: open source
software licensing, cross licensing, patenting
• Generating income from open source software
• Introduction of market driven initiatives such as working in Living
Lab environments
• Rewards & recognition to align with the innovation strategy
• CSIR excellence awards
• Reward & recognition scheme

16. The Internet is based on a layered, end-to-
end model that allows people at each level
of the network to innovate free of any
central control.
By placing intelligence at the edges rather
than control in the middle of the network, the
Internet has created a platform for
innovation.
Vinton Cerf - Internet - Innovation

17. Activities
• Baseline/landscape review at Meraka
- Position paper
- Formulate workplan for Finnish Expert
• Internal Workshops and Training
- Intellectual Asset Management
- Open Source
- IPR Act and its implications
- Management buy-in/support
- Project Management
• External activities
- Knowledge exchange trip to Finland in Nov 2009
- British Council African Knowledge Transfer Partnership
- Licensing Executives Society Conference in April 2010
- Innovation Summit Aug 2010
- Presented Lessons Learned at RDI Conference in Oct 2010
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

18. Output achievements
• Position paper on how to translate R&D outputs into
socio-economic impact
- Holistic approach to managing intellectual assets, from idea to
impact
- Alignment of Outcomes, Business Development and Strategic
Research Management
- Research initiation with clear end goals and beneficiaries
• Technology Transfer Manual Inventor
Mini invention
disclosure IP rights to inventor IP rights to inventor
• Toolkit
Negotiation of Licensing,
- Templates and guidelines Contract
partner
IP rights IP rights to partner also 3rd party
- Technology readiness tool partner
• IP Models to comply with IPR Act Meraka /
CSIR
IP owner
by contract
terms
CSIR invention
disclosure
Invention
evaluation
IP
decisions
Protection
activities
• Innovation Handbook Meraka/CSIR
- Success stories NIPMO reporting IP rights
- Case studies
- Stimulating creativity and idea generation
- Informally communicating policies
- Awareness creation

19. Technology Transfer Manual

20. Innovation Handbook
• Address researchers on an individual level
• Focus on innovation culture and motivation
• Use of case studies and role models
- Cannot exploit without external partners
- Identify potential partners early on / involve
regularly
- Understand IP is the currency for managing
relationships - cannot leave key IP decisions
until the end - different players
demand/require different approaches
- Role of Outcomes stage gate is to early on
identify potential applications, partners and
commercial opportunities
• Filled with stories, puzzles, brain teasers, and
valuable information and facts
• Available to all
© CSIR 2011 www.csir.co.za

21. 'Innovation by definition will not be accepted
at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless
demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals
before innovation can be accepted and
internalized by an organization. This
requires 'courageous patience'. '
Warren Bennis

22. Acknowledgements
- SAFIPA and CSIR
- Meraka SRM (Outcomes) team
- Communications - Biffy van Rooyen
- Technical experts - Dr Kari Leppala and
Stephan Lamprecht
Contact details: Nicki Koorbanally
Telephone +27 12 841 4532
Email nkoorbanally@csir.co.za
Web www.csir.co.za