PRISM has been awarded an Institutional Partner Grant (IPG) under the Structural Transformation and Economic Growth (STEG) programme for 2026. This significant achievement will support new collaborative research on firms, frictions and spillovers, industrial policy, and trade and spatial dynamics, while strengthening partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa and creating opportunities for PhD students and early-career researchers. 

 

  •  

  • 2026 (Ongoing): STEG Institutional Partner Grant (IPG)

    Researchers: PRISM associates (project lead - Lawrence Edwards)

    Funder: Structural Transformation and Economic Growth (STEG)

    Output:

  • 2025-Ongoing: Exporter dynamics in South Africa: The influence of foreign technology and information networks on survival

    Researchers: Guivis Nkemgha

    Funder: UNU-Wider

    Output:

  • 2021-Ongoing: Kaizen in the South African Automotive Component Industry

    Researchers: Anthony Black in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS).

    Funder: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS)

    Phase 1 is a baseline survey of 200 automotive component firms. (Phase 1 budget R964,780).

    Output:

    • Higuchi, Y., Barnes, J., Black, A., & Otsuka, K. (2024). FDI, production networks and firm behaviour: Evidence from the South African automotive industry. The World Economy. 47(3):1247-1273. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13491
    • Forthcoming: Improving Quality and Productivity in SMEs: The Competitiveness of South African Automotive Supply Chains (book edited by Kimiaki Jin, Anthony Black, Yuki Higuchi and Keijiro Otsuka to be published in 2027).

  • 2024-2026: Industrial Policy for Green Hydrogen

    Researchers: Fabianna Bacil, Anthony Black, Marina Domingues, Jun Jin, Rasmus Lema, Glen Robbins and Sören Scholvin

    Funder: Worldwide Universities Network

    Output:

    • Bacil, F., Black, A., Domungues, M., Jin, J., Lema, R., Robbins, G., & Scholvin, S. (2026). "Seizing the Green Hydrogen Opportunity? Comparing Strategies for Industrial Transformation in Latecomer Countries." Energy Policy. 211:115111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115111
    • Altenburg, A., Barnes, J., Black, A., & Ndlovu, M. (2025). "Africa's automobile sector - development opportunities in a rapidly changing industry." In Krzewdzinski, M., Lechowski, G., Humphrey, J., and Pardi, T (eds.) Global shifts in the automotive sector: Managing technological change in the age of geopoliticcal distruption. Palgrave Studies of Internationalization in Emerging Markets.
    • Scholvin, S., Black, A., & Robbins, G. (2025). "De-Risking Green Hydrogen: Insights from Chile and South Africa." Energy Policy. 198:114485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114485
    • Bacil, F., Black, A., Domingues, M., Jin, J., Lema, R., Robbins, G., & Scholvin, S. (2025). "Development strategies for the green hydrogen economy in emerging economies." UNU Merit Working Paper 2025-01. https://unu-merit.nl/publications/abstract.php?id=9889
    • Black, A., Robbins, G., & Scholvin, S. (2025). "Chile and South Africa could be green hydrogen exporters but setting up industries with debt is dangerous." The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/chile-and-south-africa-could-be-green-hydrogen-exporters-but-setting-up-industries-with-debt-is-dangerous-251823