thinking beyond

INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2020

The Idea Generator (i-Gym) is excited to invite all CUT staff to take part in the 2020 Innovation Challenge

i-GYM cordially invites you to submit your creative, innovative or business ideas for the 2020 Innovation Challenge.

Eligibility: Open to all CUT staff members.

Do not hesitate to contact us regarding any questions at lklassen@cut.ac.za or ideagenerator@cut.ac.za

Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic 

If you or your team’s solution is focussed on the COVID-19 pandemic and you think your innovative idea can make a difference, submit your idea related but not limited to the set of problem statements listed below.

You or your team can develop solutions across other areas not listed below that could create an impact and curb the spread and future outbreaks, so feel free to think outside the box.

1. Containment of the virus: Measures and efforts to mitigate the transmission of the virus.
2. Patient care and management: Healthcare system, also to keep track of affected and potential patients/remote treatment of isolated patients.
3. Vulnerable Populations: The set of problems relevant to the elderly and the immuno-compromised.
4. Fake news detection
5. Personal Hygiene and Protection
6. Movement tracking to diagnose contagion and track movements of people in quarantine areas/ lockdown regions/isolated patients
7. Remote learning methods to address the widespread disruption of the educational systems due to the pandemic.
8. Effective communication to ensure that verified and accurate information reaches even the most remote locations with least human intervention.
9. Supply Chains: Solutions that aid efficient distribution of essential commodities.
10. Large scale sterilization and sanitization
11. Solutions for lessening the mental impact of social isolation
12. Support to frontline healthcare workers
13. Medical equipment: Diagnostic as well as therapeutic. There is an urgent need to develop safe and effective countermeasures that can be readily available, accessible and suitable for use in populations most in need.

i-Gym Innovation Challenge 2020

The Idea Generator (i-Gym) invites all Grade 4 - 12 learners to take part in the 2020 Innovation Challenge 

Young scientists are invited to submit creative or innovative ideas to aid the recovery of the country's economy, or to solve the many problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Who can enter?  The challenge is open to South African school learners in grade 4 to 12 attending any school in South Africa, including home schools.

Prizes: Win one of two vouchers per category, worth R5000*, to develop your idea or project.

Categories: Best Idea/Project with the highest Commercial Potential & Best Idea/Project with the highest Social Impact.

Important dates:

Registration opens: 20 August 2020

Ideation Sessions: 18 & 21 September 2020

Registration Closes & final day for submission of presentations: Closed

Innovation Challenge Pitching - Learners: 6 or 7 October 2020

i-Gym Innovation Challenge - Live Finals: 9 October 2020

2019 Student and Staff  i-Gym Innovation Challenge winners pitch their ideas  

Presentation by Gareth Gericke - Student winner of the 2019 i-Gym Innovation Challenge:  

Project: Hydro IT Water Monitor

Presentation by Alan Kinnear - Staff winner of the 2019 i-Gym Innovation Challenge:  

Project: Brew Spoon

2020 Entrepreneurship Dialogue

CUT: turning job seekers into job creators

Education in innovation and entrepreneurship has become part of Universities of Technologies (UoTs) with the aim of turning more graduates from job seekers into job creators.

The Idea Generator was officially launched on 31 March 2017, with the intention of introducing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the CUT community.

The Idea Generator offers a developmental hub where students, staff as well as the public, with the assistance of experts and lecturers develop their innovative ideas, projects and products into products that can be commercialised.

Innovative Ideas are the pipeline to CUT units such as PDTS, CRPM, RGEMS, CUTis and the Technology Transfer Office, who are leaders in prototyping, research and business development.

The IdeaGym supports Research Unit for Evolvable and Manumation Systems (RGEMS) in their Sasol Solar Challenge.

Information on the specialized services that CUTis has to offer:

CUT Innovation Services https://www.cut.ac.za/cutis:

The Idea Generator Unit, known as i-GYM, offers a developmental hub where students, staff as well as the public, with the assistance of experts and lecturers developed their innovative ideas & projects with aim to commercialise. Innovative ideas, advanced and posted at the i-GYM via hosted challenges and events, where networking is also facilitated with industry, are pipelined for concretization at FabLab, PDTS, CRPM and TTO. The training component of i-GYM functions are done with workshops, webinars and entrepreneurship development programs collaborating with faculties and units. On campus infrastructure comprise of an i-GYM or idea-GYM (a converted gymnasium hall) equipped to host events with state-of-the-art audio- visual equipment, suitable to host workshops and events. https://www.cut.ac.za/idea-generator.

PDTS

The Product Development and Technology Station (PDTS) was launched during 2000 at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT). PDTS was since then funded by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) through the Technology Station Program (TSP). TSP’s primary objective is to increase innovative activities amongst targeted sectors, specifically SMEs through Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and, at the same time strengthen and upgrade institutional capacity and infrastructure to service the needs of these sectors.

PDTS provides a comprehensive product development and prototyping service, boasting a world-class design, prototyping and manufacturing facility. Developing new ideas into products or improving existing products through a detailed New Product Development Process (NPDP). PDTS has gained valuable experience and networks in order to identify and develop products in South Africa, guiding projects from a basic idea to production and eventually into commercialization. PDTS has gained valuable experience in medical device product development and batch manufacturing of plastics products through injection moulding. PDTS provides a variety of specialised services to businesses, SME’s and individuals to assist throughout the product development process or at different stages within the product development process.

CRPM Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM).

The Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) of the Central University of Technology (CUT) offers Additive Manufacturing (AM), generally known as 3D Printing, services and innovation expertise to industry, academia, researchers and students. Since its establishment in 1997 the Centre has extended its offering of Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Tooling for product development and is now also producing customised medical implants in titanium alloy. Reduced theatre time through using these AM implants, as well as cutting/drilling guides, jigs and pre-operative planning models, not only translates into cost saving, but also results in reduced trauma and faster recovery of patients. Based on continuing research, development and innovation, CRPM is now positioning itself to produce components in Ti6Al4V, arranging steel, cobalt-chrome and flame-retardant polymer for the aviation industry. CRPM is also part of a collaborative platform called PLATFORUM which is an initiative that supports additive manufacturing of pure platinum. The Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) at Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) specializes in Additive Manufacturing (AM), better known as 3D printing. The CRPM was established 1997 as a centre for commercial work as well as research using Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Manufacturing, Rapid Tooling and Medical Product Development technologies. The AM technologies open the possibility to go directly from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to a physical prototype/model. These prototypes are used by product/industrial designers for form and function test as well as final prototypes before tooling commences. The CRPM can manufacture prototypes in plastic, metal and sand. The process used to create prosthesis for a medical implant. From design (creating the digital prosthesis), to Additive Manufacturing (using Direct Metal Laser Sintering), to the final prototype. The process used to create prosthesis for a medical implant. From design (creating the digital prosthesis), to Additive Manufacturing (using Direct Metal Laser Sintering), to the final prototype. CRPM currently has ten AM machines which makes it one of the best equipped AM Centre’s of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Technology Transfer Office (TTO)

The unit is responsible for the facilitation of the transfer of new technology, irrespective of the field of application, to business and industry. A good example of this activity is with respect to additive manufacturing technologies – formerly known as rapid prototyping. The Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) embarked on a process of developing its infrastructure and skills-base in this area about ten years ago, at a time when this was cutting edge technology with only approximately three such machines in South Africa. During this time CUT’s position in this field of specialization improved to such an extent that it became the leader in terms of such technology in South Africa. This created a position where the rapid prototyping principles introduced by CRPM to South Africa, became accepted by the local industry to such an extent that there are approximately 200 such machines in South Africa at the moment, whilst the utilization of such is starting to have a very important impact on the local prototyping and manufacturing economy. Revolutionary technology was accessed by CUT and subsequently introduced and spun out – hence transferred – by this unit to the South African manufacturing community. The same principle holds true for new product development processes under the auspices of the Product Development Technology Station (PDTS).

FabLab (Makers Space)

This FabLab unit consists of a suite of off-the-shelf, industrial grade, digital fabrication tools, an electronics workbench, computers, programming tools, and is supported by open source design software. FabLab is a small-scale version of a production factory.

Public access to FabLab gives any community a head start in basic engineering and design technologies, and an opportunity to experiment and learn from others while being creative and innovative. Users get to complete the concept-design fabricate process to make physical products, i.e. a fully ‘hands-on’ experience. The environment created in the FabLab is that of peer-to-peer learning which enables anyone with or without a technical background to learn and have a space to experiment and, as far as possible, making their imagination tangible.

Information Share

South Africa’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Map

A survey of the support available for entrepreneurs in South Africa was undertaken by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) South Africa chapter in 2015. This infographic below highlights the updated 2017 version of the key findings with interactive buttons to provide a more detailed overview of the support available.

Contact us

E-mail us your ideas: ideagenerator@cut.ac.za