The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has released its annual report for the 2014/15 financial year, which details the organisation's sound performance against its scientific and financial targets.

The organisation has reported that it remains financially sustainable and has exceeded its financial targets, with the total operating income increasing by 10.7% to R2.38 billion from R2.15 billion in the 2013/14 financial year.

The CSIR's total contract research and development (R&D) income increased by 12% to R1.68 billion from R1.50 billion in 2013/14. CSIR's net profit amounted to R52.4 million in 2014/2015.

Technology transfer remains a key priority, with the organisation exceeding all its scientific and technical targets, including producing 45 new technology demonstrators - well above the targeted 25. It was also granted 18 new patents, against a target of 15.

The organisation also places emphasis on building and transforming human capital. At the end of the financial year 335 CSIR staff members in the science, engineering and technology (SET) base had a doctoral qualification, 15 more than the target of 320. The SET base comprised 55.8% black South Africans and 33.6% female South Africans.

CSIR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi reiterated the organisation's commitment to demonstrating the value of investment in R&D, especially in the current tough economic climate.

"We need to show how the investment in scientific R&D is able to deliver immediate value for our country through, for example, increasing efficiencies within the private and public sectors, improving our ability to understand the environments within which we work and therefore to make better decisions, and to improve our national ability to deliver services," said Dr Sibisi.

The organisation, which is celebrating seven decades of existence, highlighted some of its successful projects such as the use of wave gliders to optimise fish stock surveys; a model to enhance the understanding of South Africa's transport sector to enhance decision-making; employing technology in the fight against rhino poaching; a new digital pathology database to train pathologists remotely; identification of renewable energy development zones for South Africa; using locally produced nanoclays for vastly enhanced plastics; and a platform that will allow entrepreneurs to operate their own television stations over the mobile Internet.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor congratulated the CSIR on its performance and commended its collaboration with other African countries.

"I would urge the CSIR to approach every problem with one eye on how we can collectively progress with our neighbours. The complex developmental challenges confronting African countries have created an opportunity to be at the forefront of global scientific discovery, and we need to be ready to seize that opportunity," said Pandor.

Some of the CSIR's ongoing R&D activities in other parts of the continent include helping to establish road research centres in Mozambique and Tanzania; sharing biosciences expertise in Southern Africa through the provision of laboratories, technical support and managing the Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio); and assisting various African countries with spectrum management tools to deal with the increasing global demand for unused frequency spectrum to expand wireless internet services.

An electronic version of the CSIR Annual Report can be accessed via this link http://www.csir.co.za/publications/Annual_Report_2014_15.html