Pretoria: Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, has conducted individual meetings with the leadership of entities under his department. This initiative aims to bolster the impact and visibility of the department's efforts.According to South African Government News Agency, these discussions were a follow-up to a special meeting held in August with the Chairpersons and CEOs of entities under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI). During the August meeting, Nzimande underscored the necessity of maintaining good governance within these entities. He highlighted the importance of tackling corruption, reducing waste, and promoting transformation within the department's organisations.The Minister also focused on enhancing the relationship and communication between the department and its entities. He noted that the National System of Innovation (NSI) should be responsive to the changing domestic economic and geopolitical context. Following the August commitmen ts, with the backing of DSTI Director-General Dr Mlungisi Cele and the senior management team, Nzimande recently met with the boards and executives of key entities including the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).Guided by strategic documents like the White Paper and the Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, Nzimande emphasised the importance of making significant shifts in the department's focus areas. He stressed redefining the role of the DSTI and its entities to counter perceptions of elitism and to boost the national impact of their work.As part of strategic repositioning, the department has adopted a new mantra, "Placing Science, Technology, and Innovation at the centre of Government, Education, Industry, and Society," which relies on elevating the scale and profile of their work. These engagements with DSTI entities address critical issues from perf ormance reports and assessments, including the 2020-2025 end-term assessment and the 2024/25 annual reports.The outcomes of these meetings will guide the development of the 2026/27 annual performance plans (APPs) and may lead to revisions in the 2025-2030 strategic plans. The outcomes will also be included in the second draft of the APPs, which must be submitted to the department by 16 January 2026. Further engagements with other DSTI entities are planned for the first half of 2026.The department highlighted that these engagements are part of Minister Nzimande's broader objective to empower the DSTI and its entities to make impactful changes that will elevate the role of science, technology, and innovation in society's well-being.