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The Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS) programme at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with the South African Weather Services (SAWS), will host the 37th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) contributed to the crucial research study that focused on promoting the adaptive capacity of rural communities to climate change. The research focused on groundwater use in rural South Africa. CSIR senior researcher Dr Phumza Ntshotsho collaborated with stakeholders to understand the capacity and ability of rural communities dependent on groundwater to adapt to the impacts of climate change on spring water supply.
The recently launched PotholeFixGP mobile application (app) has already recorded 4 861 downloads on the Google Play Store, with 1547 potholes reported by users so far. The app, a collaboration between the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), signals a commitment to the digitalisation of the transport sector as it facilitates enhanced accountability by the GDRT and other roads authorities in the province.
Researchers at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) have demonstrated a world-first laser cladding system that offers a permanent solution to sealing leaks and repairing cracks at power stations.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has today joined the 49M energy saving campaign. An impressive list of leading companies has also joined the 49M campaign.
This project is based on the investigation of human microbiome in the South African population and using this to quantify/describe the specific microbiomes present in South Africans.
CSIR Photonics Centre
The CSIR houses a critical core of photonics expertise and scientific infrastructure for R&D and innovation in photonics-based technologies and applications at its Photonics Centre.
The aim of the Photonics Centre is to equip South African industries with laser and photonics tools and processes to transition, transform and maintain their global competitiveness. A wide range of sectors are targeted, from manufacturing to health, defence to mining and power generation.
The main offerings, tools and processes include:
Additive manufacturing
- Custom selective laser sintering machines
- Large parts size up to 600 x 600 x 2000 mm
- Fast printing speeds
- High quality printed parts
- Multiple materials (titanium, aluminium, steel and a range of new alloys and polymers not available elsewhere)
Laser surface engineering
- Laser cladding and onsite repair of large equipment
- Laser shock peening to enhance durability of high wear surfaces
Laser welding and cutting (2D and 3D)
- Fast, large-area laser marking machines
- Biophotonics diagnostic tools to detect HIV, tuberculosis, Covid-19 and substandard medication
- High-power lasers in all wavelengths across the infrared spectrum from 1µm to 10µm for a suite of applications
- Custom high-power laser and remote sensing solutions
The centre also focuses on supporting R&D at universities and other research institutions, as well as training and developing the next generation of scientists, engineers and technicians in fields where photonics-based technologies are key.
The centre hosts the Photonics Prototyping Facility, which supports the industrialisation and commercialisation of photonics-based technologies. Entrepreneurs or existing industry can mature their technologies to a higher technology readiness level through the development of prototypes at the facility to enter the market.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased focus on the socio-economic benefits of broadband, including providing channels to distribute education services; enable e-governance services, including health data analytics; and provide entertainment during a period when at least a third of the world is under different levels of lockdown.
The most notable development in the local telecommunications sector is the temporary licensing of available International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum and the authorisation to use Television White Spaces (TVWS) during the state of disaster. The authorisation of TVWS also came with the request, by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to make its Secondary Geo-Location Spectrum Database (S-GLSD) platform available to the licensed operators.