Search results

The Importance of a Circular Economy to Reduce Our Impact on the Environment

The circular economy involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended and waste is reduced to a minimum.

The Benefits of a Circular Economy Include:

Reducing Our Impact on the Environment:

Reusing and recycling products slows down the depletion of natural resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, mitigates landscape and habitat disruption and helps to limit biodiversity loss. Innovations that enable efficient and sustainable recycling will assist in reducing plastic waste, energy usage and resource consumption.

Reduce Raw Material Dependence:

The world's population is growing, increasing the demand for limited raw materials. Recycling raw materials mitigates the risks associated with supply, such as price volatility, availability and import dependency.

Create Jobs and Innovative Products:

Transitioning to a circular economy could enhance competitiveness, foster innovation across sectors, bolster economic growth, and generate jobs. All while providing consumers with more durable, innovative products that improve quality of life.

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) is actively contributing to the growth of the circular economy within South Africa.

Find our more

New Models with Emerging Issues

The circular economy holds a promising future. The complementary approaches outlined below, focusing on product life extension and collaboration, serve as effective means to accelerate sustainable development.

Building a Guiding Framework to Unlock Innovation

Establishing a network of responsible stakeholders sharing a common vision and goal is crucial for enabling a circular economy. It necessitates a guiding framework fostering commitment, trust and guarantees that facilitate the commercialisation of innovation with positive impacts on industry, customers, communities and the environment. This supports a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors.

Supporting New Virtuous Initiatives

Circular and collaborative initiatives often encounter challenges in reaching their goals, hindering their development, scalability and long-term sustainability. It is the responsibility of public and private entities to support these initiatives, particularly start-ups. They may require assistance in adapting their business models, securing funding, or attracting customers.

Achieving a Win-Win Situation

Implemented solutions must benefit everyone involved. This embodies a core principle of the circular economy where all stakeholders must experience environmental, social, and economic gains to ensure long-term success.

Many companies have already embarked on their ecological transition by implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. By collectively committing themselves, they can further reduce their environmental impact without compromising their economic interests.

At the DSI, we collaborate with businesses and institutions operating in the circular economy, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to scale their offerings.

Find our more

Innovations and Partnerships Supporting the Circular Economy

Collaboration and partnership are fundamental to driving significant advancements. At the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), we collaborate with innovative and ambitious minds to provide solutions that help industries reduce their environmental impact. We offer leadership, an enabling environment and resources for science, technology and innovation through various programs and partnerships.

DSI collaborating partners include:

• CSIR / BIDF
• EPCM
• UNISA / P2Power
• UNISA / NanoMagh™

For more information about our partners and the pioneering projects they are involved in, visit innovation.bridge.info.

How to Access Local Innovation and Compete in the Circular Economy

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has launched an initiative to promote local circular technology innovations, focusing on zero-waste manufacturing and conversion technology. These innovations transform plastic into power, harmful acid mine drainage (AMD) into reusable water for irrigation and CO2 emissions into fertilizer.

Find our more

Professor Mike Sathekge, Leading the Way in Nuclear Medicine

Mike Sathekge is a Professor and Head of the Nuclear Medicine department at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital. He also heads the South African Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI). He shares with us some information on who NuMeRI is, what they do, and why it is so important.

“NuMeRI is an imaging and therapeutic facility that diagnoses and treats diseases early. Our innovative imaging equipment enables us to diagnose and treatment. This informs drug development and clinical research that improves access to quality healthcare in South Africa,” says Professor Mike Sathekge.

“It allows early and accurate diagnosis and, therefore, treatment for diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, and infections such as tuberculosis (TB). The overall aim is to improve the survival rate and quality of life.

The services we offer include basic and translational research, radiopharmacy, preclinical imaging, medical physics and radiobiology, node of infection imaging, and clinical research services. We will be adding more nodes, covering additional niche areas in several universities in the future.

We work primarily with public and private hospitals and universities, as well as pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies, and medical practitioners locally and internationally. We are an important part of South Africa’s bioeconomy strategy.

As a non-profit organisation that is a flagship initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), our purpose is to translate health innovation research into solutions that positively impact healthcare,” says Professor Mike Sathekge.

Find our more

NuMeRi Supporting Healthcare Research and Development

Once fully established, NuMeRi will provide support for South African healthcare research and development, as well as commercially-driven healthcare companies. This will strengthen the nuclear medicine capacity in South Africa and Africa.

Supporting Local Drug Development

NuMeRi aims to expedite the development of drugs to address national priority diseases, enabling new pharmaceuticals to reach the market sooner – reducing the process timelines from 12 years to 3 - 5 years. This will give South African pharmaceutical development a competitive edge over global equivalents. The accelerated timelines offer cost advantages while improving the quality of life of South Africans.

Positioning South Africa as a Competitive, Global Leader

The facility will elevate South Africa’s pharmaceutical industry within the global setting, and simultaneously boost the nuclear medicine community by nurturing and growing local competence and expertise, creating a platform for skilled job creation. The facility will be instrumental in enhancing South Africa’s competitiveness in global markets through innovative ideas and, potentially, encourage the establishment of new privately-owned facilities of the same nature and attract foreign investment.

Developing Local Expertise

The expertise developed will give budding young scientists access to quality, world-class training. NuMeRI will participate in bilateral programs and collaborate with researchers globally to build South Africa’s research capacity – contributing to South Africa’s target of being “one of the top three emerging economies in the global pharmaceutical industry, based on expansive innovation system”.

Find our more