Prof Sir David King shared his view on this topic in the plenary opening lecture, entitled Improving human well-being on a resource-limited planet - can we do it? at the12th International Chemistry Conference Africa (ICCA) 2013.

The 12th ICCA was held at the University of Pretoria (UP) from 8 to 12 July 2013 and was jointly organised by the University of South Africa, UP and Tshwane University of Technology.

Prof Sir David King is the Chair of Future Cities Catapult, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, Senior Scientific Advisor to UBS, Adviser to President Kagame of Rwanda, and Director of Cambridge Kaspakas. He serves as Chair of the UK National Oceanography Advisory Board, as Council Member of the Ditchley Foundation, and as NED of Midatech Limited.

He was the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser from 2000 to 2007. He raised the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the new £1 billion Energy Technologies Institute. He created an in-depth futures process which advised government on a wide range of long term issues, from flooding to obesity.

Prof Sir King has published over 500 papers on surface science and catalysis and on science and policy, for which he has received many awards, medals etc. He was also Elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1991, Foreign Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002, knighted in 2003, and made “Officier dans l’ordre national de la Légion d’Honeur” in 2009.

Over the years, the ICCA has grown to become one of the most exciting and well attended meetings in Africa, dedicated to the field of chemistry and related disciplines. This international meeting, in its multi-disciplinary nature, brings together Africa’s own renowned scientists as well as other world leading authorities to address the practical aspects of chemistry that include analytical, environmental, organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, chemical education, biochemistry, chemical engineering and other related disciplines.

The conference consisted of plenary, keynote lectures and an extensive technical program of lecture and poster presentations. All these focus on providing practical solutions that address the diverse challenges faced by Africa. ICCA provides an ideal platform for most companies to showcase scientific and technical innovation of laboratory equipment and new products. Companies were therefore invited to exhibit their commercial products, as this was an ideal opportunity to engage in the business pursue laboratory equipment.