College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2021 54 CCRED’s flagship research programme, the Industrial Development Think Tank (IDTT), was established in 2017 as a collaboration between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the DTIC) and the University of Johannesburg represented by CCRED and DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChIID). This research programme focuses on structural transformation and industrial development in the South African economy and 2021/22 year marked the fifth cycle of work. One of the core themes related to the 4IR in this year’s research programme has been a study on determinants of digital technology adoption in South African manufacturing, including the links to digital skills development needs. This work also features a comparative analysis of the implications for digital skills with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. CCRED also produced work on rethinking the role of competition laws linked to a coherent industrial policy during this period. In keeping with the theme on industrial policy and structural transformation, CCRED also provided research inputs in support of the DTIC’s development of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan (AAMP), including on questions pertaining to industrial financing, supermarket and supplier development programmes, exports, and benchmarking. CCRED completed work on a comparative study of South Africa and Tanzania on innovation and inclusive industrialisation and agro-processing through a research collaboration funded with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland as part of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) – Inclusive Societies Initiative funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. On the competition front, CCRED is part of a research collaboration between the University of the Witwatersrand’s Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) as part of the Omidyarfunded research project around competition policies in Africa. CCRED also conducted a study focused on measuring the impact of competition policy enforcement in Southern and East Africa. The key parameters for the study included price and non-price effects, SME participation, regional spread and rivalry entry, market access as well as investment and employment. CCRED has continued to develop the African Market Observatory as an initiative to understand how markets are working for small-scale food producers and consumers, within and across national borders, by collating and analysing up-to-date pricing data. Competition authorities, especially regional institutions, are key partners in this initiative. From a value chains perspective, CCRED collaborated with Oxfam South Africa in a study funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed at enhancing the participation and empowerment of women in value chains, drawing on the Centre’s strategic competence in agricultural value chains. NATIONAL AND GLOBAL FOOTPRINT CCRED has established an international and local standing in its key fields of expertise. Productive partnerships with international and local partners aimed at broadening its research linkages, the reach of its work, and the international profile of its publications continues to be a strong focus. In 2021, CCRED has continued to pursue international and local research and teaching partnerships with various institutions as the basis for longterm partnerships, including with the following organisations: NATIONAL FOOTPRINT • Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), South Africa. • Nelson Mandela School of Politics and Governance, (UCT). • Oxfam South Africa. • Wits University Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS). INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT • The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). • Copenhagen Business School (CBS) Denmark. • Centre for Competition Policy (CCP), University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. • United Nations University Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU – WIDER). Dr Thando Vilakazi Director: Centre of Competition and Economic Development (CCRED), School of Economics College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg
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