The Department's core business is to develop research and development (R&D) policies in line with the National Research and Development Strategy (NRDS) and facilitate and monitor their implementation. The Department therefore does not provide any services to any institution or people. The aim of the Department is to realise the full potential of science and technology in social and economic development, through the development of human resources, research and innovation. The principal goals of the Department are to develop the innovation capacity of the science system and contribute to socio-economic development, develop appropriate human capital for research, development and innovation (RDI), build excellent RDI infrastructure, position South Africa as a strategic international RDI partner and develop South Africa's knowledge-generation capacity. The Department has a number of key deliverables under each of these goals. These include the development of strong innovation chains in biotechnology, nanotechnology, the hydrogen economy, space science, information technology and manufacturing. Additional deliverables include the development of technologies to address poverty and the poor quality of life of so many South Africans and the development of a healthy and diverse flux of young people seeking and finding careers in science and engineering. Finally, the Department hopes to accomplish notable successes in turning trends in global science to the national advantage, for example in astronomy and space science.