PERSONALITY PROFILE
Prof . Bernard Slippers and FABI continue building bridges
The Forestry and Biotechnology ( FABI ) Institute at the University of Pretoria has for many years been at the forefront of research on the forestry sector . Professor Bernard Slippers , director at FABI , spoke to Leon Louw .
Professor Slippers please give us a bit of background about FABI and its importance and function in the South African timber industry . FABI is an inter-disciplinary post-graduate and research institute . It links departments and units ranging from Genetics and Entomology to Soil Science , Chemistry , and other Agriculture and Forest Biotechnology disciplines . In the last few years , we have also increasingly interacted with Engineering and Computer Science .
Across forestry and agriculture , we increasingly use data science and sensing technologies as an essential part of our research . These are becoming important tools in the measurement of trends and in the decisions made in industry too .
The Institute used to be housed linked primarily to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences . Although this is still the case today , it is now hosted within the Innovation Africa @ UP platform , which is shared between Faculties , and increasingly in our case with the Faculty of Engineering , Built Environment , and IT .
I believe the institute is more than 23 years old ? Yes , that is correct . The Institute has a long historical link with the forestry industry . The University of the Free State ’ s Tree Protection Cooperative Programme ( TPCP ) formed the foundation for the establishment of FABI . The TPCP is a cooperative that links all the major forestry companies in South Africa and through organisations such as Forestry South Africa also links with and serves small growers . Government is also represented on the board and we engage with them on a continuous basis . So , it really connects research , policy , and the industry and with that capacity development .
What is your own background , and how has that changed over the years ? I have an original training in plant pathology , microbiology , and molecular biology . However , over the years , and perhaps because of the interdisciplinary nature of the institute , I have engaged more and more with other fields . For example , today , entomology and chemistry form a prominent part of what I do . But the growth in sensor and data technologies mean that I am increasingly involved with research in those areas as well . We continuously grow in this interdisciplinary environment in which we work .
What would you regard as the key challenges and opportunities in the forestry sector of South Africa and how does the university aim to bridge the two ? We need to understand that the business model for universities and the private sector is fundamentally different . A university ’ s funding is obtained from student training , capacity development and the research it produces . These functions are subsidised , and the cycles are long . A doctoral student , for example , might have a three- or four-year cycle . The private sector needs to respond to investor or market requirements , and these are not always aligned to university cycles . So , there is a potential misalignment . But there is also common ground , because we are all part of the same economy and of the same society , in which our successes and failures are tied . Universities are public entities that have a social responsibility to contribute to societies , so we can ’ t make an excuse and say that our business model is different and that we can ’ t contribute if there are immediate pressures on our industry or government partners .
The species mixes that we have bred for many years might in the future become less useful because of how weather patterns shift and change the responses of those plants to its biotic environment .
FABI ’ s focus is very much on the common ground and we look to develop programmes and platforms that speak to the common interest that exists between government , industry , and university needs . I think we have been successful in providing a bridge that connects these sectors successfully over the years .
For example , let ’ s take the threat of pests and diseases – a core focus for us . The fundamental research that is needed to develop understanding and tools in this area has long-term cycles . Yet , when
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