A vision for South Africa's National System of Innovation (NSI) was articulated some three decades ago in the White Paper on Science and Technology (1996). The idealism that inspired a nation in rebirth also found expression in policy for the science and innovation sector. Since then, the NSI has been moulded and re-moulded in light of domestic and global experiences. This volume, Why Innovations Live or Die: South Africa's innovation system, interrogates the systems and the issues surrounding them. Contributing authors argue that the fundamental question is about the relevance of innovations to the country's citizens, and whether the system promotes economic growth, social inclusion and initiative across all sectors of the population. The authors examine lessons from some highly promising research endeavours that fell by the wayside. Importantly, the book interrogates the successes of South African innovations that have impacted positively on people's lives. Various chapters trace
