From left: Jürg Utzinger, director of Swiss TPH, TIA acting CEO Ismail Abdoola, and Dr Thandi Mgwebi, group executive for business advancement at NRF.
South Africa’s Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and fellow government agency the National Research Foundation (NRF) have partnered with Swiss innovation leaders to launch a research and innovation partnership initiative.
Both the TIA and NRF are entities of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, under the leadership of minister professor Blade Nzimande.
The entities have entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH).
Swiss TPH, supported by the University of Basel, is the Leading House for bilateral research collaboration with partners in Africa.
The MOA will see the launch of the Swiss-South Africa Innovation Partnership Programme, a multi-year initiative designed to accelerate research-based innovation, inbound technology transfer, and cross-border commercialisation, according to a statement.
The agreement also commits all partner organisations to jointly-funded programmes over the next three years, signalling long-term investment in innovation, collaboration and global impact.
“Research and innovation are a necessity and the backbone to keep a country sustainable, hence the TIA is deliberate and intentional in investing in innovation for global impact,” says Tandokazi Nquma-Moyo, general: strategic partnerships, business development and stakeholder relations at the TIA.
“In executing our internationalisation strategy, cross-border co-investments and international partnerships are one of the mechanisms to leverage global resources and facilitate global trade and market access.”
Switzerland, ranked number one on the Global Innovation Index, has maintained a bilateral agreement with SA since 2007, says the statement.
The long-term collaboration has supported joint research through institutions like the Swiss National Science Foundation and the NRF. Meanwhile, the TIA has also worked with industry partners, such asSwedish-Swiss multinational ABB.
The new MOA builds on recent joint initiatives between the TIA and Swiss Leading House, such as the Blockchain Challenge Call and the Cleantech Challenge, which supported South African start-ups in gaining exposure to Swiss fintech and cleantech ecosystems.
Furthermore, the scope is expanded to include joint innovation projects to upscale and progress the research focus towards product development and tech entrepreneurship, in the cleantech, blockchain and digital sectors.
“This new MOA offers great opportunities to further strengthen the existing partnerships and take science to impact. Together, we can make a difference,” comments Jürg Utzinger, director of Swiss TPH.
