Technological capability building in the South African renewable energy sector : a systems of innovation approach.
Date
2016
Authors
Ndlhovu, Caswell
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Abstract
The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme
(REIPPPP) is a culmination of many years of planning towards introducing renewable
energy in South Africa; this programme allows Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to
bid for connecting renewable energy plants in the grid. One of the aims of the
programme as expressed in a South African government white paper is to build
competency in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies. Technological
capability is the ability to use technological know-how to improve existing products. To
gain competency in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies, technological
capability capacity will need to be built in the renewable energy sector.
This investigated the ability of the renewable energy sector to build a level of
technological capability that would allow the sector to become a manufacturer of
renewable energy technologies. Building technological capability will result in socioeconomic
benefits. The systems of innovation (SI) approach were used as a conceptual
model leaning mostly on the sectoral innovation systems (SIS) branch of this theory.
These approaches advocate a systemic view towards attaining technological capability
in a sector, region or country. This was done by initially examining the structure of the
industry in terms of whether it behaves like a typical SIS, and then deeply examining
factors that constitute an SIS with a view of identifying ways to improve the sector and
assist it in attaining the goals.
A qualitative research method was selected and data was collected mainly through
semi-structured interviews with the recommended players in the sector, as this method
was found to be the most applicable one to attain rich data.
The research found that the sector meets the requirements of a sectoral innovation
system in terms of its structure and has potential of building technological capability.
However, the factors making up a successful SIS were found to be at different levels of
maturity. This report gives many recommendations that could possibly convert the sector
into a technological capability driven one rather than one driven by technology imports.
One of the key conclusions of the report is to re-examine our technological capability
goals and ensure that all the stakeholders in the sector collaborate systemically to drive
technology development in this sector.
Description
MBA
Keywords
Technological innovations -- Government policy -- South Africa. Diffusion of innovations -- Government policy -- South Africa.Renewable energy sources -- South Africa.