thinking beyond

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i-Gym Activities 2021:

Entrepreneurship Development Programme

(EDP) 2021

i-GYM EDP Workshop 3

 You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: 7 May 2021, 2021 11:00 Harare, Pretoria

Topic: Environment Scan (Macro, Market & Micro)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://cut-fs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItcOmqrDIpE9J65WqSY6c5tuW73kEZ2HNs

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Contact us at: ideagenerator@cut.ac.za

                                                                              i-GYM and CUT Faculty Ideation  

                                                                    Training Workshop - 31 March 2021

                                                                     Facilitated by PDTS

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

Topic: i-GYM Ideation Training Workshop

When: Mar 31, 2021 10:00 Harare, Pretoria

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://cut-fs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwuceCtqDIpHNAtxUngwQ9XxYGwNYxpzZCq

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We require student number and year of study – please insert 1234 if you are not a student or not yet registered.

 Program

10:00 am - 10.10: Introduction - Presentation: Interfaculty Ideation & Virtual reality tools - Company EON  - Dr Ben Kotze

10.10 am - 11.00 Training - Facilitator: Mr Allan Kinnear: What is Ideation?

Innovations for those living with Special Needs

Innovate a service or product that will contribute towards improving the quality of life of those living with special needs:

There are four major types of special needs: Physical – muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, chronic asthma, epilepsy, etc.

        Developmental – down syndrome, autism, dyslexia, processing disorders

        Behavioral/Emotional – ADD, bi-polar, oppositional defiance disorder, etc.

        Sensory Impaired – Blind, visually impaired, deaf, limited hearing

11.00 – 11.10 FabLab (Makerspace), CUTis

11.10 – 11.20 Assignments & launch of i-GYM Challenge - Drs Erasmus & Conradie

11.20 - 12.40 Practical ideation session in breakaway groups - Facilitator Mr Allan Kinnear

12.40 – 13.00 Q & A session & Photo Opportunity & Note of Thanks

Entrepreneurship Development Programme

(EDP) 2021

The i-GYM invites you to the following 2021 EDP workshops.

Students, staff and entrepreneurs and members of the community who sign up for this opportunity, will receive guidance, advice and mentoring from experts.

i-GYM EDP Workshop 2

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Apr 16, 2021 11:00 Harare, Pretoria

Topic: EDP Workshop 2

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://cut-fs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwrcu6tqTwqEtdKs-5UqZbvjAe-rUpxp2t3

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

i-GYM EDP Workshop 1 Repeat

 You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Apr 23, 2021 11:00 Harare, Pretoria

Topic: Workshop 1 Repeat

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://cut-fs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tdeGpqD4vE9KMr5XasCS8SD_BvKRdcThi

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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, FabLab, 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:

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 commercialize. 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.

PDTS: https://www.cut.ac.za/pdts

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.

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

Other CUT Services Offered:

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.

CRPM: https://www.cut.ac.za/crpm

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.

Success Stories

• Through its i-GYM facility, the Central University of Technology has created an entrepreneurial buzz on campus
• CUT Masters student flourish as dedicated start-up entrepreneur in Hydro-IT

Contact us

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