Dates to diarise

3rd CSIR biennial conference taking place in 2010 Every second year, the CSIR dedicates two days at its Science: real and relevant conference to share its research progress, breakthroughs, and impact in an open forum.

Built environment

SA logistics sector needs sustained growth South Africa is starting to show indications of recovery from the global economic recession. However, it will take time for visible signs of good, sustained growth to emerge.

CSIR architect to judge international design and health awards Architect Geoff Abbott of the CSIR has been selected as a lead judge in the biannual awards of the Design & Health International Academy. As the lead judge in the category 'Low Cost Project in a Developing Economy', Abbott joins the ranks of other independent experts from Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

New building and construction products certified as fit-for-purpose Ten new building and construction products were approved as 'fit-for-purpose' by the board of Agrément South Africa recently. Agrément is the internationally acknowledged, South African centre that conducts technical evaluations of unconventional and non-standardised building and construction products.

Defence and security

CSIR demonstrates unmanned aircraft systems at International Civil Aviation Organisation study group meeting In early February, the CSIR was the venue for a four-day work session of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Group of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The purpose of the session was to finalise a draft ICAO circular on civilian unmanned air systems.

Health

CSIR brings once-a-week treatment of TB one step closer Researchers at the CSIR are one step closer to providing Tuberculosis (TB) sufferers with a once-a-week medicinal regime rather than their current daily doses.

Task team addresses food security at stakeholder workshop The Southern Education Research Alliance (SERA) task team on food, health and nutrition, a strategic alliance between the CSIR and the University of Pretoria, held a workshop at the CSIR Knowledge Commons in February 2010.

Industry

CSIR-Cermalab collaboration good news for refractories and ceramics industry With the official signing of a collaboration agreement the CSIR and Cermalab formalised the work they are doing together at Southern Africa's only unbiased high-temperature materials laboratory.

CSIR perfects laser cladding Researchers at the CSIR have demonstrated a world-first laser cladding system that offers a permanent solution to sealing leaks and repairing cracks at power stations.

Natural environment

Humans affect fire regimes more than climate in southern Africa Dryer climates and more extreme weather events have been predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to increase the incidence of large dangerous fires in a range of ecosystems across the globe. There are two very important reasons why southern Africa is unlikely to show similar patterns.

Working for Water Programme is working, CSIR study finds The Working for Water Programme is having a significant impact on the availability of water resources, especially in those provinces heavily invaded by aggressive invaders such as Black wattle, Eucalypt, Port Jackson, Pine, Lantana and Solanum.

Enabling technologies

CSIR is a frontrunner in laser revolution The CSIR, with the rest of the world, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the invention of laser, the acronym used for the phenomenon of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. May 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the first flash of laser beam ignited.

Digital Doorway™@Uganda: Three-seaters steal the show in and around Kampala What do New York, Ethiopia, the Solomon Islands, Lesotho, Uganda and South Africa have in common? Each of these countries has one or more Digital Doorways™. The Digital Doorway™ encourages self-learning of computer and information skills in areas where information and communications technology infrastructure is scarce.

National event at CSIR puts spotlight on human language technology The first National HLT Network (NHN) event, which was organised by the Human Language Technology (HLT) Research Group of the CSIR Meraka Institute on 27 January 2010 at the CSIR International Convention Centre, attracted some 85 participants from government, academia and industry.

Exploring the potential of navigation in South Africa and the region: new FP7 project kicks off The CSIR Satellite Applications Centre has successfully scooped a European Union Framework Programme (FP) 7 project, the EGNOS Service Extension to South Africa (ESESA). The ESESA project aims to explore regional extension models for EGNOS.

CSIR expertise serves SumbandilaSat well South Africa's second satellite, SumbandilaSat, is in good hands, thanks to the skills and expertise of the CSIR's Gladys Magagula. Magagula, the first female South African mission control specialist in training, was tasked with taking the overpass of the satellite on 22 February 2010 at the media event.

Meet our people

Honorary doctorate awarded to CSIR principal researcher CSIR Built Environment's Dr Chrisna du Plessis has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Chalmers conducts research and teaching on a broad front within technology, natural science and architecture and is ranked amongst the top 200 universities in the world.

A Venda gem flourishes in science He was only 26 when appointed as acting manager of CSIR Modelling and Digital Sciences' information security competency area last year - and this at an age when many researchers are still cutting their proverbial (scientific) teeth. Now Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo leads the biometric research group as a senior research scientist.