SANRAL Innovation Strategy and Plans

Dumi Nkabinde

SANRAL

Overview

1. Vision and Mission2. Strategic Context3. Challenges4. Strategic Objectives5. Strategic Outcomes6. Types of Research ‐ Difference between Research and Innovation7. SANRAL Research Panel

Vision

To utilise research and innovation to ensure our national road transport system delivers a better South Africa for all.

Mission

Create an enabling environment through research and innovation to ensure a safe, efficient, reliable and resilient national road transport system. 

Strategic Context

RSA Constitution – development‐oriented public administration, economic and efficient use of resources, public participation in decision‐making, ethical and professional practice

NDP – importance of infrastructure  for economic development

Transport key enabler for increased economic opportunities and changing cities (improved mobility of people)

Our influence – prioritise key areas where research is needed 

National Trans Master Plan 2050

1. Is well planned, integrated and alignedacross sectors

2. Is responsive to growing passengerand freight customer needs

3. Supports an inclusive spatial vision4. Is well maintained and preserved and

further developed toaddress/overcome developmentalchallenges

5. Supports economic competitivenessthrough seamless multimodal tradecorridors

6. Offers safe, affordable and accessiblemodal options for passengers

7. Preserves the environment8. Is managed by strong institutions9. Is supported through effective policy

and regulation10. Is innovative/adaptive and reflect s

emerging priorities11. Is sustainably funded12. Is effectively implemented through

accountable delivery mechanisms .

NATMAP2050

NATMAP 2050

Challenges

Skills DevelopmentSouth Africa has one engineer per 2 600 people compared to international norms, where one engineer serves 40people.Insufficient new entrants, including women, to undergraduate and postgraduate Science, Engineering, andTechnology (SET) ranks ‐ “frozen demographics”

Materialsthe availability of traditional road construction materials used in South Africa are decreasing and new materialsand/or techniques are required to enable higher traffic volumes to be carried at acceptable service levels.

Resource efficiencyFor the research and innovation programme to be successful, it is vital to ensure that critical mass is maintained, thiscan only be achieved by optimising the utilisation of all the current research facilities and staff at Tertiary EducationInstitutes, Research Councils and Industry/public sector.

Climate ChangePoor performance of South Africa’s energy sector, reliable energy supply has become a pressing concern.To address these concerns, SANRAL (and South Africa as a whole) are investigating renewable energy supplies as asupplement or alternative to traditional power delivery.Limiting pollutants from construction and environmental impact.

Challenges

The Fourth Industrial RevolutionSignificant changes and disruptive technologies to all aspects of life; the national roadways areno exception.Companies such as Uber, Lyft, Bolt etc. have already proven that technology has an impact onhow roads are utilisedImminent arrival of autonomous and electrical vehicles, the need for specialized focus onthese disruptive technologies areas becomes apparent.

Road SafetyWith the number of vehicles on the roads increasing year by year, road safety becomes moreand more of a pressing concern. Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) continues to impact on socio‐economic development and impacting on the well‐being of all South Africans as documentedin the National Road Safety Strategy 2016 – 2030 (Department of Transport (DoT) ‐ SouthAfrica, 2016). The total cost of RTCs in South Africa for 2015 was estimated to be R143 billion(3.4% of the GDP)

Challenges

CongestionIt is estimated that more than R60.35 billion rand is potentially lost to the economy inproductivity due to congestion.

Figure 1: TomTom Traffic Index 2018

Strategic Objectives

a) Establish a needs‐driven research and innovation programme with sustainable researchfunding.

b) Ensure a collaborative research approach between Tertiary Education Institutes,Research Councils and Industry/public to achieve a balance between priorities.

c) Resource efficiency ‐ optimising the utilisation of all the current research facilities andstaff at Tertiary Education Institutes, Research Councils and Industry/public sector.

d) Develop a framework for research and innovation identification and prioritisation basedon SANRAL’s strategic objectives and the needs of stakeholders.

e) Disseminate research outputs and ensure effective technology transfer.f) Professional Skills Development ‐ overcome “frozen demographics” by promoting skills

development to address the lack of insufficient new entrants.g) Utilise technology, research and innovation to develop new processes, products and

services to the advantage of the stakeholders.h) Develop SANRAL’s internal research and innovation capacities.

Strategic Outcomes

a) Optimal usage of human resources and facilities through a collaborative research andinnovation process.

b) Alignment of research and innovation at tertiary institutions to the needs of the industry.c) Increased research capacity while addressing “frozen demographics”.d) Skills development:

Increased number of postgraduate degrees that generate new knowledge in engineering and researchers for thefuture, particularly to address capability that has been lost at research councils, andA pipeline of professionals that have been exposed to the latest technologies and methods that will be taken up ingovernment and industry.

e) Co‐operation between parties to ensure:Increased research, development and implementation of new knowledge and technology with a focus on localrelevance;Increased number of research outputs in terms of publications, technology demonstrators and pilot projects;Enhanced impact in the transport sector through the implementation of innovative and sustainable solutions thatimprove transportation performance, reduces construction and maintenance cost;Reduced impact on the environment through “green” solutions, recycling, re‐use of materials, renewables and energysaving;Improved performance of transportation infrastructure and the associated reduction in congestion and useroperating costs through research and innovation

Types of Research

Figure 2: Research and Development Classification based on OECD Frascati Manual (OCDE, 2015)

Research vs Innovation

Research is the systematic process of generating new knowledge, ideasand inventions. Innovation can be defined as the process of applyingthese ideas or inventions to generate technology (goods, services andprocesses) that creates value for road users and stakeholders (Roberts,MIT).

Innovation Value Chain

Figure 3: The Innovation Value Chain.

Types of Innovation

LED Road  Studs

Drones

Big Data / Data Analytics

Hyperloops Autonomous Vehicles

Flying Taxis

Figure 4: Three Types of Innovation (NA, 2019).

New Surface Seal Processes

IoT

Machine Learning

Uber

Research Focus Areas

SANRAL has identified the following focus areas for research:• Area 1: Asset Management• Area 2: Geotechnical• Area 3: Future Transportation• Area 4: Pavement• Area 5: Drainage & Hydraulics• Area 6: Structures• Area 7: Traffic• Area 8: Road Safety• Area 9: Transportation Planning• Area 10: Environment• Area 11: Communications• Area 12: Public Administration & Management• Area 13: Economics• Area 14: Legislation• Area 15: Technical Innovation• Area 16: Electrical/Mechanical

SANRAL Research Panel

• 16 Research Focus Areas (RFA) were identified.

• Appointment of Panel of Researchers through an open tender RFI:o Received 261 applications from 144 individualso 18 individuals did not qualify

SANRAL Research Panel

• 16 Research Focus Areas (RFA) were identified.• Appointment of Panel of Researchers through an open tender RFI:

o Received 261 applications from 144 individualso 18 individuals did not qualify

• 7 RFA Workshops o 2 days o Day 1 open to all stakeholders: SANRAL/other Authorities/Industry o Identify research needs:

short (±2 years)  medium (±5 years)  long term (> 5years)

o Prioritise research

Research Focus Steering Committees

SANRAL has identified the following focus areas for research:• Future Transportation• Technical innovation• Transport planning• Economy• Public administration• Pavements• Asset management• Traffic• Road safety• Geo‐technical• Structures• Drainage and hydraulics• Environment 

RFSC 1

RFSC 2

RFSC 3

RFSC 4

RFSC 5

RFSC 6

RFSC 7

SANRAL Research Panel

• Research Teams: Panel members grouped into researchteams based on their expertise and experience

• Team Leaders: Category A or B researchers appointedas team leaders to perform the identified researchprojects according to the pre‐defined rate scales.

• Skills Development: In addition, Master and PhDstudents will also be assigned (through internship /secondment) to each group to assist with the researchwork, enabling mentoring/knowledge transfer to nextgeneration and unlocking of the “frozen demographics”with specific regard to new entrants and women.

Researcher Categories

Researcher Evaluation Criteria

Researcher Categorisation

Flow Diagram of Research Phases

Flow Diagram of Research Phases

3 Pillars

Figure 6: Research and Innovation Pillars

Figure 5: Collaborative Research & Innovation Strategy

Why Research Management?

•R&D funding and resources are scarce•Optimize R&D expenditure•R&D activity must be relevant and address future needs•Larger Integrated R&D projects to ensure desired impact•R&D project portfolio should be driven by R&D strategy•Collaboration (“open innovation”) – STOP WORKING IN SILOS!•Ensure that R&D outputs are transferred to industry, implemented and supported

A Systems Approach

The answer is a holistic, systems approach that:Addresses all elements of the innovation system from strategy through R&D, technology transfer, uptake and final impactAddresses the environment within which the system operates, e.g. stakeholders, legislationTakes into account the interactions between the elements of the systemIdentifies the bottlenecks, levers and opportunities in the system to maximise effectivenessAllows for back casting to ensure that R&D direction and nature of the outputs are relevant and effectiveIs flexible in its approach

In addition:Essential to establish local champions Research uptake is more than documentationResearch, capacity building, knowledge transfer and benefit assessment should not be seen as separate activities

A Systems Approach

Figure 5: A Systems‐based Model

There are several tools to support this thinking, for example:

Strategy:Needs determination processesTechnology road mappingForesight studies (maybe less applicable?)Systems analysis

R&D portfolioPortfolio balance analysisCapability analysis, core competence analysisTechnology trees

Output ManagementQuality control and peer reviewKnowledge managementOutput assessment e.g. TRL levels

Uptake managementDelivery systems thinkingInnovation diffusion models

Impact assessmentIndicator developmentProxy indicatorsTrend analysisBenefit cost analysisImpact pathway mapping

Strategy: Needs Determination Process

Foresight

PROJECT IDEAS

FOCUS AREA A

FOCUS AREA B

FOCUS AREA C

FOCUS AREA n

REVIEW CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS / FORESIGHT

DOMINANT ISSUES

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Res Topics Res Topics Res TopicsRes Topics

Impact assessment

Principles:Plan for impact upfrontResearch effectiveness: input/ output/ outcome/ impactA balanced score card approach of which CBA is one elementMust be related to strategic objectivesTrend analysis rather than accuracyBalance in indicators over full innovation value chainImpact is almost impossible to measure directly, use proxy indicators

Impact of skid resistance on Quality of life:reduction in fatalities/ 100,000

Impact of Job creation on Equality:labour‐intensive methods or small business development

How do indicators build up towards potential impact

Potential indicators

• Process indicators• Input indicators• Output indicators• Outcomes indicators (uptake)• Impact proxy indicators

Process IndicatorsInput Indicators Output Indicators

Impact Proxy IndicatorsInputs Research and 

Development OutputsOutput Indicators (Uptake)

Potential indicators

Process indicators: ‐• Number of needs determination processes• Number of foresight studies• Establishment of a research advisory 

committee• Establish research focus area steering 

committees• Number of SANRAL staff and researchers 

trained in research methodology• Number of SANRAL staff and researchers 

trained in research ethics• Number of research programme technology 

development strategies developed according to the template

Potential indicators

Input indicators: ‐• Number of researchers active in SANRAL 

research programme• Number of SA black researchers active in 

SANRAL research programme• Number of SA black research project leaders• Number of SA female researchers active in 

the SANRAL research programme• Number of active researchers with a PhD• Frascati distribution of research funding 

(basic, applied, experimental development, piloting and implementation)

• The amount of funding employed for research infrastructure 

• The amount of research funding spent• The number and size of collaborative 

partnerships

Potential indicators

Output indicators: ‐• Number of publication equivalents (DoHET

formula)• Number of new technology/ knowledge 

packages• Number of SANRAL endorsed national 

research reports• Number of new or updated national 

guidelines• Number of new Masters’ degrees completed• Number of new PhDs completed• Quality assessment of publications (e.g. 

journal impact factors)

Potential indicators

Outcomes indicators (uptake): ‐• Number of technology demonstration 

projects where new knowledge/ technology was implemented

• Rand value of demonstration projects• Number and size of social impact• Number of projects where positive 

environmental impact is made• Number of practitioners trained in use of new 

technology or knowledge package• Cumulative cost/benefit ratio• Public perceptions of interventions• Effective communication measures• Number of small contractors involved in 

projects emanating from research programme• Life stories and success stories of new 

technologies implemented

Potential indicators

Impact proxy indicators: ‐• Number of retrospective studies to determine current 

impact resulting from past R&D• Fatalities/ 100,000 trips on roads where new solutions 

have been implemented• Normalised crash rates• Rand value of indirect economic impact • Behavioural change in road users • Network benefits on interventions• Traffic through flow rate at crucial bottlenecks• CO2 levels near roads• Energy footprint of operations• Road safety index• Nuber of job opportunities created • Road conditions index• Facility performance index• User satisfaction index• Number and nature of community involvement projects• Cumulative Rand value of SANRAL involvement in 

communities• Freight flow rates on road where new technology has been 

implemented (Netsafe statistics)

Impact/benefit assessment process

On quarterly basis:• Record project meta data• Record all input, output, and outcome indicators• Loaded into data base• Indicators should be recorded on project/ focus 

area and programme level

On an annual basis:• Conduct retrospective studies to calculate/ 

investigate impact proxy indicators• Analyse trends in indicators• Do CBA on project level• Develop life stories and success stories• Prepare benefit assessment report