[ubuntu-za] NEWS: Improved maths and science results crucial to technology entrepreneurship | Business | M&G

[Hilton Gibson]

Each year, more than R20-billion leaves South African shores in technology
payments, but the receipts we receive for our technology amount to less
than R100-million, a situation specialists say is unsustainable.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators 2015, published by the
National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), paint the picture of an
innovation system whose inputs are increasing – both in terms of money and
students – but “doesn’t seem to be providing benefit in terms of ‘bang for
your buck’”, says Azar Jammine, project leader for Naci monitoring,
evaluation and indicators, and director of Econometrix.

In 2013, we imported $1.9-billion worth of technology and received only
$63-million. Yet the amount South Africa sends offshore for technology has
increased significantly in the past nine years. “If you keep importing more
than you are exporting, you have this balance of trade deficit,” he says,
“and you become more and more reliant on foreign exchange.

http://mg.co.za/article/2015-05-21-improved-maths-and-science-results-crucial-to-technology-entrepreneurship
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