Transversality and innovation capability-based catch-up for sustainable mining in South Africa

Abstract

The study examines a cross-cutting innovation system, centred around the precious metals mining sector of South Africa which experiences unique challenges, requiring effort to improve the level of capability for catch-up. It explores the possibility of transversality across the mining and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors for enabling catch-up and attempts to uncover promising windows of opportunity for leapfrogging in the mining sector. The theoretical concept of transversality examines the possibility of synthesis and cross-fertilisation from knowledge spillovers of firms, clusters, industries and sectors in a regional innovation system (RIS) that leads to innovation. The type of knowledge interaction and the variety inherent in the system is studied to determine the possibility of path interdependent knowledge recombination. Technological capability as well as the firm environment play a significant role in the catch-up process, and the study examines the role of Public Research Organisations (PRO) and other research institutions in building capability to embrace advanced technologies for that purpose. A qualitative methodology is adopted to analyse data collected from mines, PROs, research institutions, and a start-up in the regional innovation system. This is contrasted with existing literature to postulate the possible path to catch-up. If was found that mining in South Africa experiences unique challenges that will require a new path to catch-up, especially for deep level mining. Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies represent a new technological paradigm and are being embraced, largely through direct adoption, though the technologies are also applied to solve the unique challenges the sector experiences. Several challenges pose barriers for the adoption of 4IR technologies, especially in deep level mining. However, these are the subject of ongoing research. Technological capability is built through research at universities and research institutions as well as in a doing, using, interacting model (DUI) through adoption at mines. However, the firm environment poses several challenges that must be solved at country level. Opportunities for leapfrogging have also been identified