The CSIR hosted a high-profile delegation from the German state of Thuringia on 5 May 2015, led by Wolfgang Tiefensee, German Minister for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society of the German state of Thuringia.
CSIR CEO, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi and Wolfgang Tiefensee, German Minister for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society of the German state of Thuringia.
Minister Tiefensee joined CSIR CEO, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi to establish new contacts and lay the foundation for future collaborations. This followed a visit in March led by the President of the German Federal Council of Provinces, Volker Bouffier, together with representatives from the legislature, science councils, universities and business. Minister Tiefensee’s feedback was that Bouffier was impressed with the CSIR.
The visit included a tour of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)/CSIR Titanium Plant where Dr Dawie Van Vuuren, research group leader at the DST/CSIR Titanium Centre of Competence, exchanged knowledge and ideas on opportunities to collaborate in the fields of titanium metal production and fabrication. Minister Tiefensee extended an invitation to the CSIR to work together with German research institutions such as the Fraunhofer and Max Planck Societies.
The delegation included the president of the German Chamber of Commerce in South Thuringia, the president of the Chamber of Engineers in Thuringia, representatives from research institutions, universities and development agencies. Dr Sibisi noted that there were important lessons that the organisation could draw from the research and development (R&D) work conducted by German organisations.
Mechatronics and micro manufacturing research collaboration underway with Germany
The CSIR mechatronics and micro manufacturing research group also hosted a workshop with leading researchers and experts from Germany in the field of microfluidics and microsystems on 6 May 2015. Researchers discussed industry perspectives and also technical aspects in the development and manufacturing of microfluidic devices.
The CSIR is a collaborator with the German Microfludic ChipShop GmbH on a medical devices project focusing on microfluidic cartridge development for blood testing. Presentations were provided by German delegates as well as locals from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and Alere, an international diagnostic device and service provider and the CSIR. The workshop was open to researchers in this field and concluded with an exhibition of microfluidics devices. “The workshop provided an excellent opportunity to interact with international experts in the field of microfluidics and microsystems, technologies that have started to play an increasingly important role in our day to day lives,” remarked Suzanne Smith, a CSIR researcher in the field.
