The South African Technology Transfer Brokering Agency (SATTBA) was launched in Midrand last night, with the support of the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology.
The pilot scheme involves agencies from SA and Russia, expanding the science and technology bilateral trade agreement existing between the countries. TradeWorld, I-Net Bridge's online marketplace, is SATTBA's infrastructure partner facilitating technology trade and transfer between countries.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Ben Ngubane noted with approval the use of the Internet as an effective mechanism to create opportunities for co-operation between countries.
"What we are talking about ... drives nations and economies, and it's put men on the moon - don't trivialise it. We still need to build trust and relationships, and to share intellectual property responsibly and constructively. In sharing academics, professionals and scientists, we can unlock the potential of the African continent."
Dr Roy Marcus, president of SATTBA, said: "The challenge with technology transfer is one of awareness. There is a lot of really good technology out there and nobody knows about it so companies may not have been buying the best technology for the job.
"TradeWorld's portal will act as a knowledge management tool, ensuring that both parties, the buyer and the seller, have updated information on what is available locally and internationally. SATTBA will also be promoting technology transfer opportunities on a national basis, facilitating agreements between South African companies," said Marcus.
Sean Emery, MD at Tradeworld, commented: "The cost of researching and developing technology is huge. For the buyer, it is far better to purchase technology than produce it, and with this portal companies will be able to find out if the technology already exists rather than re-invent the wheel. For the seller, it recoups the money invested in developing the technology. With Russia and SA operating in many of the same fields and using similar technology, it made sense to begin the project using these two countries."
The challenge when negotiating international deals is ensuring that the foreign company is legitimate. SATTBA and its counterpart Russian brokering agency are assisting in this process by screening all information, guaranteeing that the contacts are valid.
Businesses wishing to buy the technology are able to search for it on the portal and then get in contact with the brokering agency via e-mail and discuss the contract.
For further information, visit www.sattba.com.
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