Increasing Footprint of Innovation

• Encourage and promote Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) based young entrepreneurs through technology innovation driven platforms
• Groom active citizens to participate in Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) activities for socio-economic development
• Provide platforms for stakeholder engagement to initiate and implement prospective innovation driven projects, programmes and initiatives directed at spurring their regional economies, industrialization, regional capacity development and creation of job opportunities.
• Enable rural innovation and promoting inclusive economic growth.
• Promote technology entrepreneurship through technical training, idea Pitching Workshop and matchmaking programmes.

• Matchmaking and opportunities identification, with the focus on Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and ICT.
• Capacity building programmes, including technical training, coaching and mentorship programme.
• Design and creative thinking workshop.
• Technology Innovation and Intellectual Property Workshop.
• Idea Pitching Workshops.
• STI awareness campaigns, networking events and summits.

Background
Pretorian North Regional Innovation Networking Platform (PTA North RINP) is funded and supported by the Department of Science and Innovation (through the RISP) and Tshwane University of Technology in support of the Pretoria North (i.e. Soshanguve, Mabopane, Winterveld, and Ga-Rankuwa) and surrounding innovation community.

Tshwane University of Technology is acting as an agency that coordinates supports and maintains the development of Platform. The key partners are City of Tshwane, Africa Beyond 4IR, Innovation Hub, Technology Innovation Agency, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.

Platform Objectives

• Bring together academia, industry, government, science councils, civil society etc., with the aim of strengthening community and regional innovation systems.
• Support technology SMMEs and innovators in the Pretoria North region, who are responding to societal challenges confronting rural South Africans for increased societal impact.

Platform Offerings

• Innovation Support Advisory - provide advice on invention disclosures, intellectual Property, technology development and commercialization.
• Capacity Building - provide technical trainings on range of topics and facilitate access to further trainings.
• Business Development - offers business skills through Technology Entrepreneurship Programme etc. The process includes guidance from the beginning of technology business idea to the launch of the product, as well as marketing, sales, legal, financials, exports, mentoring and coaching etc.
• Technology development support - advice and linkages on prototype development, partnerships, provide innovation vouchers and technical experts advice.
• Access funding opportunities - facilitate access to innovation funding opportunities (investment funding sources, investment funding process and options, grants, financing, and innovation/business plan competitions) and introduction to funding agencies and venture capitalists.
• Networking - Organizing networking events (inviting guest speakers on events, clinics – research, IP, funding etc. Arranging workshops on various topics.

Contact Details
Contact person : Dr Hamilton Mphidi
Tel : (012) 382 4409
Website : https://www.pnrinp.org.za/

Background
The Lejweleputswa Innovation Platform (LEAP) is an initiative funded by Department of Science and Innovation (through the RISP) and Central University of Technology. The platform endeavours to create awareness about innovation and its rewards. It aims to assemble and engage innovation stakeholders from various sectors with a view to create innovation networks and facilitating collaboration amongst academia, industry, government, civil society and others.

Through its activities, LEAP supports emerging innovators and entrepreneurs through the facilitation of training, networking events and innovation competitions, as well as initiating selected commercial projects to serve as catalyst for larger enterprise development initiatives.

Key stakeholders in the platform include the CUT Welkom Campus, CUT Innovation Services (CUTis), CUTis iGym, CUT FabLab, Letsete BEHUB, Lejweleputswa Development Agency (LDA), Goldfields TVET College, the Municipalities of Lejweleputswa and Matjhabeng and merSETA,

Platform Objectives
The platform objectives include 3 components:

• Skills development through virtual and in-person webinars and demonstration sessions.
• Arranging and hosting events (virtually and in-person to facilitate networking and information-sharing).
• Facilitating competitions whereby innovators can develop ideas through a process of competition and mentoring (Innovation Pipeline).

Platform Offerings
The following are products and services offered by the Platform:

• Hosting of webinars events on aspects of innovation enabling, social innovation, environmental innovation, product development, commercialization, financial principles and resourcing, IP protection, pitching, business mentoring and other relevant interventions.
• Hosting training on IP protection and other relevant legal matters.
• Hosting and implementing innovation competitions and mentorship programmes.

Contact Details
Contact person : Prof JFR Lues / Ms Manneheng Raphuthing
Tel: (015) 507 3145/22 
Email Address : rlues@cut.ac.za  / mraphuthing@cut.ac.za

Background
The Mobile Applications Laboratory NPC (mLab) was successfully awarded a Regional Innovation Support Programme (RISP) grant by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Technology Localisation Implementation Unit to establish an AgriTech and TravelTech regional innovation network in the Limpopo Province.

The project aims to build a network of researchers, designers, innovators and entrepreneurs to establish a vibrant agriculture and tourism technology ecosystem in Limpopo. Polokwane is the ideal city from which to start building the innovation network and will serve as the hub from which to expand the network to more remote parts of the Limpopo Province.

Platform objectives

• Establishing and building a network of collaborative stakeholders
• Stimulating a vibrant ecosystem that supports innovation
• Promoting community engagement through innovation activities and challenges, and Incubating and supporting qualifying start-ups to facilitate the commercialisation of AgriTech and TravelTech in the region.

Platform offerings

• Tech Support Kit - Providing Start-ups with the ability to access the digital solutions that have been developed for their business. This allows them to test the solutions on the market.
• Tech Development Supports - Development of applications for start-ups and tech SMMEs
• Access to tech hosting and licencing - Providing accesses to hosting, licencing and cloud storage to facilitate the development and maintenance of the applications
• Technology and Business support
• Viable Gap Analysis
• Go-To Market (ROMA)
• Pricing and Costing Workshop
• Pricing and costing Workshop
• Corporate ID Package
• Mentorship
• Launch Package
• Provide Start-Up Acceleration support to help start-ups and tech SMMEs to grow sustainable and profitable businesses, as well as developing lean start-up innovation strategies that scale up and enable early-stage entrepreneurial and corporate sponsored start-ups to take their innovations to market

Contact Details
Palesa Antony - Provincial Coordinator
Contact details: +27 76 135 1688

Choene Makhasa - Project Coordinator
Contact details: +27 79 602 9199

Website: http://www.agritourzalimpopo.co.za/

Background
The Northern Cape Innovation Forum (NCIF) came into existence as a result of the determination and commitment of key stakeholders who recognised the importance of innovation for bolstering social and economic development in the Northern Cape Province. Its establishment coincides with a renewed focus on finding novel ways to challenge the prevailing approaches and practices towards achieving the development goals of the province

The Northern Cape Innovation Forum is multi-stakeholder and cross sectoral vehicle driving the innovation and technology ecosystem. The NCIF is funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (through the RISP) and the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDaT). The Platform is currently hosted and facilitated by the Sol Plaatje University (SPU).

Through the quadruple helix model, the NCIF aims to bring together key actors in the innovation space such as academia, government, innovators, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, social entrepreneurs, industry, SMME’s and investors. The main beneficiaries of the NCIF are local technology SMMEs and innovators.

Platform Objectives

• To develop innovation capabilities in the Northern Cape Province
• To mobilize resources for innovation-oriented activities
• To inspire a culture of innovation in the province

Platform Offerings
The following are products and services offered by the Platform:

• Innovation Support - provide information across the innovation landscape.
• Network Services - create and stimulate networking and collaboration, brokering partnerships, ad establishing an innovation networks.
• Research Services - develop a knowledge base on innovation in the Northern Cape Province
• Capacity Building - facilitate access to range of capacity building measures, including access to advice and technical support.
• Learning Services - facilitate the design, development and delivery of learning and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Technology Transfer - support technology transfer; aiming to translate potential ideas into products, processes, or services in the economy or social spheres.

Contact Details
Contact person : Tshegofatso Chifokoyo (Coordinator)
Tel : (053) 491 0093
Email Address : info@ncif.co.za
Website : https://ncif.co.za/

• Enhance and promote innovation and technology transfer through structured support to
• Create jobs while stimulating industry and government participation to increase their investment in technology, and innovation development as a vehicle to facilitate the development and accelerated entry of SMMEs (particularly youth and women entrepreneurs) in the 4IR sector; and
• Increasing levels of uptake and usage of ICTs by SMMEs across economic sectors

• Creating innovation enabling environment by linking academic, STI entities, private business with technology SMMEs and innovators.
• Hosting innovation related workshops and training for technology SMMEs and innovators.
• Lobbying for innovation support on behalf of local tech entrepreneurs.
• Implementing future skills programme

• Identifying gap and potential innovative opportunities
• Creating synergies with relevant innovation actors.
• Promoting innovation excellence awakening

• Implement innovation awareness activities in the region
• Publicizing innovation opportunities and gaps
• Organizing networking events to promote innovation
• Promoting technology entrepreneurship and 4IR

Background
Stellenbosch Network was initiated by the University of Stellenbosch and the Founding members are Stellenbosch University, RISP, Remgro, Capitec, Wesgro, Stellenbosch Municipality, Nedbank, Ranyaka, Entersekt & Winetech.

The Vision of Stellenbosch Network is to facilitate in positioning the Stellenbosch region internationally as an inclusive and inter-connected innovation hub and knowledge region in Africa.

We are a cross-sector and inter-disciplinary membership organisation that brings people together - from business, academia, government and civil society - to meet each other and share ideas, encouraging collaboration and partnership for greater shared success and in support of a stronger innovation ecosystem and inclusive economic growth.

Platform Objectives

• Catalyse increased synergistic collaboration and purposeful local partnerships
• Create opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction between members from industry, government and academia
• Actively facilitate knowledge sharing
• Promote inclusive economic growth

Platform Offerings
The following are products and services offered by the Platform:

• Mentorship Programme for technology based entrepreneurs. The Platform has a facilitator that manages the programme and source mentors for each mentee. The programme runs for about eight months.
• The Stellenbosch Network runs an Ideation Challenge called the #Ideasforchange Challenge. This is open to anyone living, working or studying in Stellenbosch. Their current Challenge is to empower creative, innovative and scalable ideas to make Stellenbosch a “Smarter City”.
• Preferential Local Procurement Platform through blockchain technology. The platform will align with all of the stakeholders’ take-on processes by having an independent third-party vet and validate suppliers’ business data through an advanced technology platform. Data is constantly kept up to date and relevant as the opportunity platform will notify suppliers of expiring documents required to be updated.
• Events: Technology Training Workshops and Smart City Lecture Series with inspiring speakers and topics where members also get the opportunity to network.
• News & stories: The Platform share their news and stories via our newsletter, social media platforms and other publications both locally and nationally. They also do a monthly Entrepreneur of the month article on a local businesses.

Contact Details
Contact person : Hanli Brink
Email Address : hanli@stellenboschnetwork.co.za
Website : www.stellenboschnetwork.co.za

Background

Gibela Business Incubator (GBI) and its funding partner, Regional Innovation Support Programme (RISP), established the Springs Regional Innovation Networking Platform (RINP) within the Springs region. The project located is Kwa Thema Township in the City of Ekurhuleni. The Spring RINP will significantly contribute to the creation and support of an enabling innovation environment for innovative township enterprises and innovators. Gibela Business Incubator believes that the Innovation Networking Platform will be a good fit with the work that their currently doing in the community of Kwa Thema.

Key elements that makes it ideal for the establishment of an Innovation Networking Platform in CoE includes but not limited to:
he importance of township economy development as prioritized by CoE and envisaged in the Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) 2055,
The Gauteng Township Economic Revitalization strategy position innovative township enterprises as the core of economic engine that will create jobs and employment.
A thriving and well diversify private sector that is ripe with localization opportunities.

Platform Objectives

• Initiate, promote, support and mentor innovative technology focused SMMEs through implementation of innovation-driven activities
  Establishment of a competitive and inclusive multi-stakeholder innovation platform to allow innovators and industry to work together
  Improve access to seed funding by leveraging partnerships with both public and private sector organisations

Platform Offerings

Some of the activities of the Platform will include public-facing activities (such as knowledge sharing sessions and hackathons) which are targeted at the wider public as well as services which are provided to selected grassroots innovators. The Platform recruit’s innovators with promising ideas and/or businesses regularly, with the aim to guide them from the ideation phase into commercialization. Innovators will have access to the following:

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: Skills development and training – Innovative enterprises and Innovators are offered training in various topics to strengthen their business and technical skills

PARTNESHIP DEVELOPMENT: Industry networking events - Business networking events, with the aim to connect industry players, innovators, potential buyers, and investors to encourage mutually beneficial partnerships. Allowing the participants to leverage their strengths in new creative ways

TOWARDS INNOVATION COMMERCIALIZATION PROGRAMME: Access to resources - Access to various resources to the selected enterprises and innovators in order to assist with the further development of their products and services, as needed. Examples of resources which may be made available are R&D labs, 3D printer, co-working space, Design software, technical experts. Access to mentorship - The enterprises and innovators also gain access to mentors, mentorship might include business development, business support, market linkages and technical advice.

Contact Details
Contact person : Justine Mogashoa
Email Address : info@gibelainc.co.za
Website : www.gibelainc.co.za