African Fusion July 2023

ongoing transfer, uptake, tailored applica tion and skills development by industry in each of the welding/joining/fabrication technologies/practices and SDGs identified through the ISP. Some of the welding industry sectors identified in the SDGs include food, rail, road transport, water, pressure equipment, building & construction, energy, pipelines, marine platforms, pharmaceutical and medical devices. ISPs have been successful ly implemented in countries such as the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada and USA, and outcomes could possibly be transferred into interested countries throughout the world. Recommendations 1. TWF Africa should integrate the SDGs into its own policy making and account ability to provide a leading role and a blueprint for African cooperation and collaboration, not just amongst its own members, but also in remaining African countries. 2. The Welding Industry in each African country should publicly support its gov ernment’s work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 3. The Welding Industry in each Afri can country should agree on a Lead

Organisation to establish a Flagship Programme with a single global focus: ‘To assist the country to establish, sus tain and improve its National Welding Capability (NWC) and progress its UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’. 4. The Welding Industry in each country should promote organisations in in dustry, government, and academia to improve their welding capabilities and SDGs and to integrate them into their policy making and accountability. 5. Where appropriate, an Industry Sector Project (ISP) approach should be used for improving the NWC and SDGs in a country. 6. Create business plans and prioritise the strategies and projects to be imple mented, particularly in relation to the re sources available in the country, so that the resources and efforts are dedicated to doing the most good and beneficial outcomes will be realised in improving the NWC and progressing the SDGs. With the four attributes of Enthusiasm, Per sistence, Cooperation and Collaboration, we can all work together in an excellent team effort to improve the quality of life of people in Africa and globally. allbones@iinet.net.au

to analyse and define the key challenges, opportunities and requirements that will govern the competitiveness of the coun try’s capability in each industry sector and identify specific areas where welding, joining and fabrication innovation and technology needs to be upgraded and transferred to improve companies’ and the country’s competitive advantage and market performance, including the effects on progressing the SDGs. The second stage is to select ISP activi ties to meet the identified needs, demon strate the innovation and technologies to be implemented and identify how the solutions can be implemented. How to document the activities, demonstrate the outcomes and disseminate the ISP activities to the wider industry follows. Activities for future actions needed can then be identi fied, including research, development, education, training, qualification, certifica tion and standards development, which will also need to continually progress the SDGs. The third stage will involve capturing all the appropriate information in transfer mechanisms such as key Expert Technol ogy Tools (ETTs), Technical Guidance Notes (TGNs) and Standards for each technology/ sector application/SDG and facilitate the

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July 2023

AFRICAN FUSION