Earlier this year, The Innovation Hub, in partnership with COFISA (Co-operation Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland & South Africa), announced the establishment of a Centres of Expertise Pilot Programme to create a regional system of innovation in the Gauteng region. This programme revealed a new brand identity, namely Activator - "Innovation through collaboration", at a ceremony held at The Innovation Hub on 17 October 2008.
Various public sector programmes in South Africa use the term 'Centre' in their names and mandates. For example, there are 'Centres of Excellence' implemented by the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Trade and Industry. The primary objective of such Centres of Excellence is to create specific research in key technology areas such as telecommunications, laser technology and areas of biotechnology (eg, malaria, HIV/Aids, TB, etc). The Department of Science and Technology is further developing a 'Centre of Competence' model as a fundamental platform from which to develop specific industry-academic collaborations. The intention behind the Centres of Competence is to link research-focused areas with specific industry capacity and involvement.
However, such naming conventions have created confusion in both the public view as well as in the minds of the funding agencies that are sensitive towards duplicating funding. Therefore, the Innovation Hub COE Pilot Programme decided to develop a non-aligned and unique brand to replace 'Centre of Expertise' brand currently utilised for the pilot programme.
"For us, having a new brand is a way of defining our own South African Centres of Expertise concept and giving it a unique identity. The programme was adapted from the successful Finnish experience and part of the pilot phase included developing our South African concept, which fits to our environment. It is also a way of celebrating some of the successes we have achieved so far, which includes having consortia projects with the involvement of universities, research organisations, large companies and SMEs working together to achieve the same goal," says Jeanette Morwane, Manager of Activator.
This programme was established as a result of a feasibility study, conducted by Finland's Turku Science Park, in November 2007, which identified the need to develop a COE Programme in Gauteng. The initial announcement of the programme included a call for proposals to prospective consortia, promoting the spirit of collaborations between industry, research, academic institutions and government in projects from the aerospace, ICT and biotechnology sectors. Various proposals were received and six ICT consortia projects were selected, and are currently operating on the Activator platform. Two of these projects are fully endorsed while others are still undergoing a process that will allow full endorsement status in the near future.
The endorsed projects are:
* Meraka Institute's "Broadband For All" Project
This project aims to remove or minimise technology barriers, enable bottom-up creation of wireless access infrastructure and provide cheaper broadband in remote and rural communities. Research has been focused in the areas of mesh networking, low cost voice/messaging devices, low cost access points and antennas, and network security. Mesh networking research is interesting in that a community can grow a wireless network in an ad-hoc manner without the need for large capital investment in radio masts. Meraka Institute is the project leader and the consortium also includes Sentech, Parsec & Redline SA and Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA).
* Fourier Approach's "Centre of Excellence in Complexity" Model
The Fourier Approach consortium developed a Fourier Approach's "Centre of Excellence in Complexity" model and related methodologies that assist with the design, development, implementation and measurement of operational processes within a complex environment, while striving towards realising the organisational strategies in a resilient operation. The consortium consists of three organisations, namely: Fourier (Industrial Engineering Consultancy), the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Pretoria (UP). The developed model will be validated as part of the academic objectives of Unisa.
The Innovation Hub Activator is based on a Finnish model of utilising top-level knowledge and expertise as a resource for business operations, job creation and regional development. It is not a funding programme, but rather a funded platform to co-ordinate collaboration, stimulate industry-focused innovation and leverage available public and private sector funding while creating opportunities for developing SMEs and hi-tech jobs.
For more information on Activator, you may contact:
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