South Africa launches Bioeconomy SA Portal

In South Africa, businesses and individuals involved in bio-innovation are invited to register on the Bioeconomy SA Portal, a web-based platform that collects information from different sources and integrates it into a single, uniform and secure user interface.

The portal, an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), is expected to become a significant tool for facilitating strategic decisions, providing information services, and leveraging expertise and resources to create a value-adding service for the country’s biotechnology industry.

The portal stems from the national Bio-economy Strategy, which was launched in 2014 to harness bio-innovation for economic growth and social development in South Africa. The DSI champions the strategy in order to increase the contribution of sectors such as agriculture, indigenous knowledge systems, the environment and health innovation to inclusive economic growth.

The portal was designed to improve the exchange of information among bio-innovation stakeholders, and thereby to stimulate communication, improve cohesion and promote collaboration. Data design and quality management, as well as powerful analytical and reporting capabilities, were incorporated into the design to ensure customized value propositions for all users.