Water Research Commission

September 2016

The WRC

Generation of New

Knowledge

From Research Outputs to Application

Disseminate knowledge

Test & Demonstrate Innovations

• Directed calls

• Open calls 2-5 yrs

projects

Short term Projects

- Responding

to urgent needs

+

Strategic objectives – Knowledge Tree

NDP

Growth

Competitiveness Prosperity

• Supporting HCD in Water & Science Sectors

• Sustainable Development Solutions

• Empowerment of communities,

• Transformation & Redress,

• Inform Policy & Decision making,

• New products & Services for Economic Development

Main Research & Development Areas

2016/17 2015/16

Water Resource & Ecosystems

Water & Wastewater management

Water use in Agriculture

4 KSAs 3 KSAs

Water

Resource

Management

Water Use &

Waste

Management

Water-Linked

Ecosystems

Water

Utilisation in

Agriculture

Lighthouses Existing and continuing

• Water Sensitive Design,

• Water Energy Food Nexus,

• Water Quality & Health,

• Climate Change;

• Water ICT

Water & Big Data

Water and Green

Economy

CP- 2017/18

Water Behaviours

Water Scarcity & Extreme Weather Events

+

Measures of Progress /Success

90

400

Inn

ova

tio

ns

Stu

den

ts (

HC

D)

New

Kn

ow

led

ge

- p

roje

cts

25

Outputs from Research & Development

Gu

idel

ines

& m

anu

als

SMM

Es

Bri

efs

(Po

licy

& M

inis

teri

al

30

15 20

others

7

“Every South African deserves enough clean and

safe water”

“We will achieve this by supporting the

advancement (or promotion) and use of

innovative technologies and solutions to meet

current and future challenges and seize

opportunities for economic development and job

creation in the water sector, and aggressively

communicate this position for mutual benefit”

Speeding-up the transfer of Water Related Research Outputs to Application

Innovation and Impact

Research Development Product Piloting

& demonstration

Technology

transfer

Product

launch

Success of a product

Commerciali-zation

Success of a business

Fun

din

g /

Inve

stm

en

ts

DEATH VALLEY 1

[Technology/ Product

Failure]

DEATH VALLEY 2

[Technology Transfer Failure]]

Success of a New

Business [Products

or Services]

Success of a New

Technology, Product or Practice

Governments and Universities Mixed Funders (Partnerships/Stakeholders) Private Sector

“DEATH VALLEY”

Innovation and Impact

9

Innovation and Impact

10

Knowledge Services:

Dissemination of New and Existing Knowledge for impact

Innovation and Impact

Communication and Media Relations

Purpose of WRC communications is to engage

with our various Stakeholders to the mutual

benefits of both for improved water management.

• Improving the dialogue among all

stakeholders

i.e. Inspiring Water Conversations and

“My Water Story” 26-Sep-16 11

Innovation and Impact

26-Sep-16 12

• The challenges faced by the water sector opens up numerous

opportunities to innovate and deploy new technologies,

• In Practice, as a sector we have barely tapped the potential those

technologies offer.

• Various hurdles currently inhibit the development, testing, adoption,

and diffusion of new water technologies.

• Addressing the coming challenges will require new approaches, new

strategies to increase innovation and speed-up the deployment of

new technologies and new skills in the water sector

Innovation and Impact

13

Innovation and Business Development

Driver: Partnerships

1.Research Partnerships

2.Innovation and Value Chain Partnerships

3.Implementation Partnerships

Innovation and Impact

14

Resource

Constraints

Innovation and Impact

Thank You