Page 13 - Annual Report A4
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PROF. KHUMBULANI MPOFU                           WORDS BY GIBELA

           GIBELA RESEARCH CHAIR IN
           MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS                         RESEARCH CHAIR
           DEVELOPMENT

                    ne positive outcome of the cur-        This is my fourth year as the Gibela

                    rent fiscal restraint is how our two   Research Chair and I  have been privileged
         Olevels of government have come                   to work  alongside  some  of South  Africas

          together on a number of fronts to maintain       most     committed     and     influential   innova-
          momentum for  transforming our econo-            tion leaders during this  period. I  have also

          my.  There is a new willingness  to recog-       witnessed  the unrelenting  energy  and
          nise that we can no longer do business in        dedication  of the research team in striving to

          South Africa in the same way if we are to        build  and  effectively  manage  programmes
          remain globally competitive.  The empha-         patents, prototypes and  partnerships  the

          sis that  our  provincial  government has        innovation gap, support new companies and pro-
          accorded  experiential  learning  as well as     mote a culture of  entrepreneurship.  I  am grat-

          social innovation is well placed. This is how    ified to see that our conviction about becoming
          so many of our bright students will discov-      aggressive in supporting innovation has proved

          er their calling, whether in the private sec-    prescient. Our investment in RnD with  commer-
          tor or the third sector, where  there is also    cialisation,  Then was important and worthwhile

          a great need for leadership  and ingenuity.      and becomes even more so going forward.
          They might very well find fulfilment in helping

          needy society through innovative solutions.








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