‘This centre could revitalise SA manufacturing industry’ – Deputy Minister Gina hails UP-WEF partnership on global 4IR centre

Dr Thulani Dlamini (CSIR), Prof Francis Petersen (UP), Nomalungelo Gina (DSTI) and Andrew Kirby (Toyota SA) Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina applauded the recent launch of theSouth African Centre for Industry and Technology(SACIT)– the first South African member of the World Economic Forum’s global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) – saying that the Centre could help South Africa’s manufacturing industry reach its full potential. Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina applauded the recent launch of the (SACIT)– the first South African member of the World Economic Forum’s global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) – saying that the Centre could help South Africa’s manufacturing industry reach its full potential. Gina was speaking at the launch of SACIT, which is hosted by theUniversity of Pretoria(UP).

The launch event, which was themed ‘Advancing Africa’s Industrial Transformation’, took place as part of a meeting of the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group Ministerial Meeting and theB20, the official business engagement group of the G20, held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) offices in Pretoria. The launch event, which was themed ‘Advancing Africa’s Industrial Transformation’, took place as part of a meeting of the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group Ministerial Meeting and the , the official business engagement group of the G20, held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) offices in Pretoria. Nomalungelo Gina signing a commemorative plaque at the SACIT launch With its launch, SACIT became the first South African member to join the WEF’s 4IR Network of 22 global centres.

Deputy Minister Gina emphasised that SACIT must build on South Africa’s existing strengths across its national system of innovation. “This requires coordination and synergy between government, academia, organised labour, civil society, business and industry towards innovation-led industrial development. Herein lies our economic resilience and sustainable development.”