"One never notices what has been done;

one can only see what remains to be done."

Marie Curie: Polish-French physicist and chemist.

The Efficacy of Technology

Diffusion Initiatives from South

African Universities to Enhance

SME Competitiveness and

Sustainability

Corlette Molefe, Esther Siluma & David Phaho

Presentation Outline

• South Africa: An Overview

• Technology Diffusion Initiatives: Tshumisano Trust

• Tshumisano’s Impact: An Exemplary Case Study

• Conclusion

SA OVERVIEWTotal Population 47.9 million

Blacks 38 Million

Whites 4,4 million

Coloureds 4,2 million

Indians 1,3 million

SA Provinces

22%

21%

14%6%

11%

7%

7%

10%2% Kwa Zulu Natal

Gauteng

E.Cape

Free state

Limpopo

Mpumalanga

North West

Western Cape

Northern Cape

SA Year Book 2006/7

SME DEVELOPMENT

There are about 650 000 SME’s in South Africa

SME’S AND ECONOMY

ROLE PLAYERS IN SA SME DEVELOPMENT

Area Of Support The Agency

Financial Support South African Micro-Finance Apex Fund (Samaf)

Khula Enterprise Finance Limited

National empowerment Fund

SEDA

Umsombovhu youth fund

SAwen.

National empowerment Fund

Business Development Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA)

Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP)

Limpopo Business Support Agency (LIBSA)

Umsombovhu Youth Fund

Many other provincial

Technological Interventions SEDA Technology Program

Tshumisano Trust (The focus of this Presentation)

TSHUMISANO TRUST

“TSHUMISANO”

is a Venda word meaning co-

operation or partnership

“TSHUMISANO”

Tshumisano Trust is an Agency

of the

Department of Science and Technology to Strengthen

Technology Transfer and Diffusion Initiatives at

Universities to Support SME's

•Improved competitiveness through world class products,

production technologies or services.

•Increasing capacity for continuing technology assimilation

and innovation.

Within the participating Universities:

•Improved and enriched R&D as well as teaching and learning

activities leading to:

Better understanding of SME needs

ENVISAGED OUTCOMES

Within the supported SME’s:

TECHNOLOGY CENTRES

AGRO PROCESSING AND CHEMICAL CLUSTER

• Testing and analysis in manufacturing low-end products.

• Formulations, Pharmaceutical and the Natural/Indigenous Products, Detergent & Paint .

Agrofood.ppt

• Advanced manufacturing and value adding services within three critical industrialized sectors

• Specialises focus is in product development and prototyping

• Application of Smart materials, textiles and reverse engineering

SECONDARY MANUFACTURING CLUSTER

Secondary manufacturing.ppt

Central

• This is a support cluster , with service of system automation and processing of materials.

• Material compositions and casting (foundry) solutions.

PRIMARY MANUFACTURING CLUSTER

Primary Manufacturing.ppt

• Centers for Tool Design, Tooling Technology Transfer, Research and Innovation

• Tshwane University of Technology, Walter Sisulu and Stellenbosh Universities.

 

Institute for Advanced Tooling Cluster

IAT.ppt

Performance Review

FY 2006/7 -FY 2007/8

ASSISTED SME’sHistorical programme Overview

Period Number of SME’s

FY 2001/02 60

FY 2002/03 260

FY 2003/04 251

FY 2004/05 514

FY 2005/06 787

FY 2006/07 1083

FY 2007/08 1277

OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF CLUSTERS

12%

35%

4%

49%

Agro-Chemicals Processing Cluster Primary Manufacturing ClusterSecondary Manufacturing Cluster Institute for Advanced Tooling

Overall Performance of Clusters…continued

Percentage of Technical Activities in the Technology Stations and IAT’s

Major

Achievements

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

0

50

100

150

200

Number

FY 2005/6 FY 2006/7 FY 2007/8

Interns

FY 2005/6

FY 2006/7

FY 2007/8

Collaborations of the stationsAdept Airmotive Ltd

and Three Technology Stations Consortium

(CUT, TUT and UJ)

Part of South Africa 1st Light Aircraft Engine Development

Tooled, Manufactured and Tested in South Africa

Worldwide Inquiries

A Case Study:The Bambanani

Story

A NEW CLOTHING INDUSTRY RISES IN THE TOWNSHIP

BAMBANANI

• Started as a community project in 1998• Sewing and baking

• 2002 Diverged into linen making• Approached the Technology station for

assistance

• 2005 the 1st Intervention: Safari Outfits

BAMBANANI…continued

• Enrollment to the University • Bridging the Gap between the community and academic

Institution

• 2008 Landed PEP stores Contract • Lessons

• Registered as a closed coorporation• Emergence of a clothing SME developed out of a

township

• A Benchmarking Model

SUCCESS

2005: TRAINED AT TSCT

COMPLETE FIRST ORDER25 WAISTCOATS

Other ProductsOther Products

•SAP Choir uniform

•African shirts

•Lab coats (current attraction)

BAMBANANI

2008: 15000 units /long johns for PEP

BAMBANANI DAILY PRODUCTION OUTPUT

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

DAYS

UNIT

S

Series1

180/Day

To

700/day

KMV cc

The Future

Technology Innovation

Agency

(TIA)

Core Mandate

Nurturing Innovation for Sustained Economic

Development and Growth

Building blocks of TIA

• Tshumisano Trust – Technology Transfer and Diffusion from Universities to Industry

• Innovation Fund- Funding for protection of publicly funded research outputs

• Biotechnology Innovation Centers – Biotechnology research and commercialization activities

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy (CSIR) – Development of advanced materials technologies; product and process technologies; ICT and logistics technologies

Basic Applied Tech Develop Transfer & Proliferation

NRF

SpecialistResearch Funds

InternationalResearch Funds

TIA

IDC

VentureCapital

SEDA

PBF

Publications/new knowledge Patents/new knowledge products

Tshumisano over the years has evolved into the nation’s key exemplar of the Triple Helix

Model, bringing together government, higher academic

institutions as well as the productive sector, with an

unqualified emphasis on Small and Medium sized Enterprise

(SME)

Dr. David PhahoDr. David PhahoTshumisano Annual report 2007/8Tshumisano Annual report 2007/8

“…one can only see what remains to be done."

Marie Curie: Polish-French physicist and chemist.

Tshumisano Trust

Department of Science and Technology

Pretoria, South Africa

www.tshumisano.co.za

THANK YOU