TIA and Industry Focused Science, Engineering &Technology (SET)

Education

33RDRD ANNUAL SATN CONFERENCE 2010 ANNUAL SATN CONFERENCE 2010

  VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYVAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

David PhahoGroup Executive: Technology Innovation Agency

Contents

What drives a Knowledge based Economy

TIA and It’s mandate

What drives TIA’s Strategic Partnerships

TIA’s Skills Development initiatives

Technological Education -The Case of Tooling

Q & A

Key Elements for Sustained Economic Growth

Human Capital

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Innovation - Diffusion & Exploiting of Science and Technology outputs

Vibrant Entrepreneurial Culture (namely High Growth, Innovative SME’s)

Source: 2001 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Report, The New Economy: Beyond the Hype. OECD, Paris.

Research Development Manufacturing

LocalKnowledge

Value addedlocal technology

Products & services

OVERSEAS TECHNOLOGY SOURCESResearch Development Production

Technology

Transfer

$

Innovation “Chasm”

Bridging the “Chasm” through local technology commercialisation and diffusion

TIA Mandate & Vision

The TIA Act [No 26 of 2008]:

“The object of the Agency is to support the State in stimulating and intensifying technological innovation in order to improve economic growth and the quality of life of all South Africans by supporting the development and exploit ation of technological innovations”

The TIA Vision is to be:

“A world class innovation agency that supports and enables technological innovation to achieve socio-economic benefits for South Africa through leveraging strategic partnerships”

Technology Innovation Agency

The Seven Anchor Tenants in TIA:

TIA’s Strategic Partnerships

The Drivers

Human Resource Development Innovation Technology & Innovation International co-operation in skills and Technology

Development

The Partners

National Departments: DoHE, DTI, DOL, SETA’s Others: GTZ, Academic Institutions, Industrial

Partners

Centrality of Skills to TIA’s Corporate Strategy

Sector-driven strategies

Limited socio-economic impact of technology driven focus For optimal socio-economic impact, TIA’s interventions will be sector drivenTechnology as a tool to impact on the sector and societal needs

TIA Sector Driven Skills Focus Areas

Enhancing engineering and technical capabilities in the following TIA technology innovation portfolios:

Agro-processing, Plastics and ChemicalsTooling and Metal CastingFoundriesRenewable Energy Technologies (Green jobs)Advanced Light Materials and ElectronicsAdvanced production TechnologiesBiotechnology

TIA’s Technology Station ProgrammeA Brief Review of Skills Development

Industry focused Technological Education

The Example of Tooling

                           

 

Centrality of Tooling to Development

Tooling Design And Manufacture

Mining

Medical Appliances

PackagingAerospaceOthers

PlasticsAutomotives

Bottling Industry

Benefits of a Competitive Tooling Industry

“For every R1 million invested in Tooling Equipment and Technology, over R250 million of Components can be produced Sustained Economic Development”.

Ref: Department of Trade and Industry’s Fund for Research into Industrial Development Growth and Equity (Fridge) into the Tool, Die and Mould Industry, 2006

But……….

South Africa faces serious skills shortage in these critical sectors: Designers, IT specialists, Project Managers and Toolmakers

South Africa is a net importer of Tools e.g. Local Automotive Industry imports over R3 billion worth of tools annually

Low levels of Investment in Machinery and Equipment by SMME’s in Tooling Industry

TIA based Initiatives

 

Institutes for Advanced Tooling(IAT)

 Centers of Excellence for Tool Design, Tooling Technology

Transfer, Research and Innovation. 

  

These DST initiatives were implemented through the former Tshumisano Trust

at

Tshwane University of Technology, Walter Sisulu and Stellenbosch Universities

 

Key Objectives of the IAT’s

Integrative Approach to Tooling by looking at the whole lifecycle in the Tooling Manufacturing:

From Design Production Tool Recycling

Economic Growth through enhanced competitiveness through:

Design and formulation of curricula for knowledge driven advancement of scarce skills (Designers, Toolmakers, IT)

World class products via properly designed tools 

IAT’s Operational Model

                

 

                           

 

 

     

(US)

R&D andTechnology Transfer 

(TUT)

Training and SMME Support

       

  Technological

Services

Industry

 

    

 

((Walter Sisulu UniversityWalter Sisulu University))

Tool DesignTool Design

TIA-UoT’s engagements

The way forward

Continue with Industry Specific Internships at UoT’s Escalate SME Skills Development (Factory level) Orientate Technology Education Initiatives towards

National Economic Imperatives namely:

DTI’s IPAP-2 DST’s Technology Localization Program & 10 Year

Innovation Plan DPE’s Competitive Supplier Development Programme National Tooling Initiative

Thank You!