The SKA: connecting the dots to reach the global science and technology frontier

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope provides an example of how to effectively connect pockets of excellence in the national system of innovation, and align these with the skills and knowledge requirements of employers. This has helped the SKA to attain the critical mass and knowledge intensity required to compete at the global level, Michael Gastrow, Glenda Kruss and Il-Haam Petersen found as part of a large study on labour markets in South Africa.