One of the few constants in the over 75-year history of the CSIR is the awareness of, and commitment to, the value that science and technology can deliver to the development of our country.

The CSIR ensures that the annual grant received from Parliament through the Department of Science and Innovation, which accounts for some 30% of its total income, is invested in knowledge generation, scientific infrastructure and enhancing skills. Additional income is generated from contract research for the public and private sectors, locally and abroad, as well as from royalties, licences and dividends from intellectual property management and commercial companies created by the CSIR.

Throughout the years, the organisation has demonstrated significant growth in its research output, transformation of its staff complement and added value to society.