Dwight Links
In its 2026 Research Infrastructure survey report, the National Commission on Research, Science & Technology (NCRST) has identified that the Khomas and Erongo regions dominate the distribution of these research facility installations across the country.
69 organisations formed part of the survey between August 2022 and June 2024. The response rate was only 71%, as 20 organisations did not respond to the survey. The previous survey conducted in 2017 served as a baseline for the latest findings.
Khomas had a distribution of 31% of these facilities in the region, while Erongo came in second with 22.4%.
Oshana was third with 14.3%, while the regions of Omusati, Oshikoto, Kavango East, Kunene, Zambezi, //Kharas and Otjozondjupa accounted for the rest of the installations. Omaheke, Hardap, Ohangwena and Kavango West did not respond to the surveys as outlined by the NCRST researchers, who noted that this does not mean these regions do not have any facilities positioned within them.
According to the NCRST, this displays a major imbalance of where facilities are positioned across the country. “This highlights significant regional disparities or possible non-response to the survey,” the report indicates.
In terms of the funding for these facilities, the report indicates that funding avenues have only stemmed from the government thus far.
“Funding is heavily reliant on government sources – accounting for 75% – which exposes the facilities to risks from budget cuts and policy shifts. This underscores the need for diversification and self-sustaining resource mobilisation,” the report highlights.
As the survey was conducted to map and evaluate the country’s research infrastructure, stakeholders included research institutions, academia, higher education institutions, government offices, ministries, agencies and non-governmental organisations, and private sector entities.
The Real Picture
According to the NCRST, the private sector has a very low rate of engagement with regards to tallying or playing a role in the facilities they also run and own.
“Private sector engagement remains minimal at 4%, indicating a critical need for targeted initiatives to better integrate this sector into the national system of innovation,” highlights the NCRST.
The survey also looked into the number of skilled personnel working in these research facilities across the country, finding that this area also serves as a hurdle in the way of optimising said installations.
“Skills gaps affect 80% of facilities, particularly in research writing and specialised fields such as simulation, big data management and climatological modelling, necessitating a need for targeted capacity building programmes,” shared the report.
The survey also noted that upon release of the report, 90% of the reported facilities are operational, however, they operate with obsolete equipment, suffer from discontinued funding, and limited staff capacity, hindering research effectiveness.
Willing to Collaborate
The facilities all indicated their willingness to collaborate with the NCRST in national and international partnerships.
“This means that they are willing to share access and engage, but reluctance towards co-branding and unrestricted infrastructure use suggests a need for clearer collaboration frameworks,” noted NCRST researchers.
According to them, accessibility varies, with some facilities imposing limited or fee-based access, potentially restricting cooperative opportunities.
Moreover, in terms of plans to upgrade the research facilities, several respondents could not indicate whether any plans are in the pipeline.
“Over half of the respondents were uncertain regarding future infrastructure plans, reflecting possible gaps in strategic oversight as well,” added the researchers.
