Two years after launching the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy, the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) continues to be a contributor and a role player in the socio-economic development of the central region.

Product Development Technology Station participated at the Nampo Harvest Day 2018, an annual agricultural exhibition, held to support the farmers in the region, with a complete perspective into the latest farming products and equipment.

The Product Development Technology Station (PDTS) is involved in product design, prototyping and short run production.  The station assists in developing new ideas into products or improve existing products with detailed engineering. PDTS also supports businesses and individuals through the new product development process. The station makes use of first-class engineering expertise from the CUT, as well as specialised prototyping equipment from the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM).

On 16 May 2018, the department showcased and launched their first invention produced by the Electronic Department of PDTS. Their first commercialised electronic product was developed to automate a logbook used by farmers to simplify tax related finances.

The invention, Precision Diesel system, is a portable device attached to a diesel transport trailer. It is activated by the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag of the implement (tractors mostly). After the device is activated it allows for a few extra information inserts. The function that the implement is currently doing is inserted via a keypad, then the hours of the implement and the field name can be inserted. The system then activates a fuel pump that fills the implement and the data is then logged to memory. The system is developed with USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, enabling a USB drive to be inserted to retrieve logged data from the system. PDTS also developed the software that interfaces this data on the computer. This allows for a printable PDF with all the desired data that in the end replaces a manual log book currently used by farmers.

The role players in the project are Mr Marinus Potgieter, Station Manager: PDTS, Peet van Staden, Junior Project Engineer in charge of the Electronic department at PDTS, Mr Barend Greyling and Mr Willie van Straaten, Entrepreneurs from Soutpan Boeredienste.

Nampo Harvest Day is an annual four-day-long agricultural exhibition held at Bothaville, to support the farmers in the region with a complete perspective into the latest farming products and equipment. Incepted in 1967, Nampo has since been serving the requirements of both the users, suppliers and manufacturers of such equipment. At the trade fair, exhibitors and farmers who custom makes or invent equipment are also awarded for their efforts to help farmers work smart.

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The Precision Diesel system is a portable device attached to a diesel transport trailer meant to automate a logbook used by farmers to simplify tax related finances.