The OAD and stakeholders will be participating at the 2025 Science Forum South Africa.
SCIENCE FORUM SESSION 1
Session Title: Looking Beyond 2030: The Role of Science and Innovation in Shaping Future Societies
Date: 26 November 2025
Time: 13:00 – 14:30
Venue: CSIR ICC
This session will explore the evolving role of science and innovation in serving and shaping society beyond 2030, aligning with the Science Forum’s theme of “Igniting Conversations: Placing Science, Technology & Innovation at the Centre of Government, Education, Society & Industry.” As we approach the 2030 milestone, marking the conclusion of global strategies like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP), with our attention also turning to the ongoing African Union Agenda 2063 and the world we want to create beyond these targets, this session will reflect on how we shape that future, together.
The session panel will look at global and African development, with a particular focus on how science and innovation can drive progress in a world rapidly transformed by disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and the many effects of climate change. Discussions will consider how society can shape research priorities to ensure they are inclusive, locally relevant, and able to address global challenges, while also exploring what the world might look like beyond 2030 and the role science will play in shaping that future.
Special emphasis will be placed on the interconnected roles of all stakeholders and the importance of grassroots engagement in advancing sustainable development, particularly within the context of the ongoing AU Agenda 2063 vision and beyond. The panel will share key lessons from their work in applying science as a tool for grassroots development, demonstrating how scientific knowledge and methods can empower local communities, support education, promote inclusion, and build capacity even in under-resourced settings.
Future-oriented perspectives will highlight both the opportunities and disruptions posed by emerging technologies and the changing global landscape (environmental and political), while examining how government, education, industry, and grassroots actors can collaborate to build resilient and innovative systems. The panel will reflect on practical steps for the next five years, such as investing in AI and promoting widespread AI literacy, to help accelerate progress toward shared development goals beyond 2030.
Speakers
H.E. Ambassador Lavina Ramkissoon, African Union
Mr. Arnold Okkers, Executive Director, Usiko, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dr. Vanessa McBride, Science Director and Acting Head of the Centre for Science Futures, International Science Council
Prof. Heidi Hackmann, Chair in Science Futures, University of Stellenbosch
Moderator: Mr Kevin Govender, Director, IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
SCIENCE FORUM SESSION 2
Event Title: From research to commercialisation: Innovations from Astronomy
Date: 27 November 2025
Time: 17:00 – 18:25
Venue: CSIR ICC
Session Summary
Scientific research institutions in South Africa, particularly in astronomy, have made significant strides not only in knowledge generation but also in building world-class infrastructure and skills with potential far beyond the academic domain, including in engineering, systems development, and data science. Astronomy, as a flagship of big science in South Africa, has demonstrated how scientific endeavours can contribute to broader development goals. This session builds on that foundation by focusing on the next frontier: translating astronomy-driven research into commercial and developmental impact.
This session will explore the intersection of ideation, innovation, and impact, with a specific focus on how astronomy-inspired technologies and methodologies can be commercialised or transferred into other sectors. Within the South African context, astronomy-related facilities fall under the National Research Foundation (NRF), which has a broader national mandate beyond astronomy. Facilities such as SARAO, SAAO, SAEON, SAIAB, and iThemba LABS possess deep scientific engineering, technical and software expertise and precision engineering capabilities that are often underutilised in the broader innovation and entrepreneurial landscape. For instance, the high-precision workshop at SAAO has already demonstrated potential for fabrication, instrument prototyping, and tech transfer. There is an opportunity for ongoing initiatives to explore how such capabilities can be leveraged in emerging sectors and value chains.
Central to this discussion is the development of a Commercialisation Gateway, a structured platform to identify, support, and scale innovations emerging from astronomy and related disciplines. The session will also explore how this gateway can act as a bridge between researchers and the private sector, including venture capitalists, angel investors, and impact investors, unlocking new financing mechanisms to support science-based entrepreneurship. The discussion aligns with national and continental priorities, including the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2034, and supports the broader call for a strengthened public-private interface within the innovation ecosystem.
Speakers
Dr. Rosalind Skelton, Managing Director, South African Astronomical Observatory
Ms. Pontsho Maruping, Managing Director, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
Mr. Humbulani Mudau, CEO, South African Space Agency
Nandi Mthethwa, Engagement and Programme Manager, RIIS
Moderator: Mr. Mark Johnson, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
SCIENCE FORUM SESSION 3
Event Title: Astronomy in Africa in the Era of the African Space Agency and Agenda 2063
Date: 27 November 2025
Time: 08:00 – 09:30
Venue: CSIR ICC
Session Summary
As the continent advances toward the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, particularly in science, technology, and innovation, astronomy is uniquely positioned to support transformation, integration, and socio-economic development. Africa is home to some of the world’s most exciting developments in astronomy, from world-class observatories such as the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT), High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S) and Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE) in Namibia, the Oukaimeden observatory in Morocco, the Kotamiya Observatory in Egypt, the Entoto Observatory in Ethiopia, the Kenya Optical Telescope Initiative (KOTI) in Kenya, and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in South Africa – to fast-growing networks of researchers, students, and science communicators. This session explores the role of astronomy in shaping Africa’s future, the strategic opportunities created by the establishment of the African Space Agency (AfSA), and how astronomy and space science can jointly contribute to building resilient societies, strong infrastructure, and a globally competitive knowledge economy.
Speakers
Dr. Lisho Mundia, Deputy Executive Director responsible for Higher Education, Training, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture
Mr. Humbulani Mudau, CEO, South African Space Agency (SANSA)
Ms. Tinyiko Ntshongwana, Deputy Director: Africa Multilateral Cooperation, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)
Prof. Brando Okolo, Head of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), African Union Development Agency-NEPAD
Dr. Charles Takalana, Deputy Director, IAU Office of Astronomy for Development
Ms. Thembela Muntungwa (Moderator)
