Regional S&T Ministers visit the Hub

Delegates from the SADC S&T Ministerial Conference, hosted by the Department of Science and Technology in July this year, participated in a visits programme to gain insight into the S&T developments taking place in South Africa's science environment. South African S&T Minister Mosibudi Magena accompanied the delegates on their visit to the Hub.

The visitors were hosted by Hub CEO Dr Neville Comins and Tsietsi Maleho, Corporate Affairs Manager and included the S&T Ministers from Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

SADC S&T Minister outside the Innovation Centre during their visit to the Hub.	Minister Mosibui Mangena interacting with the CoachLab™ students.
Ben Mouton, CEO of Universal Communication Services and Bill Souders, Programme Director of Cisco's NEPAD e-schools initiative.	Ltr Minister Mosibudi Mangena, Dr Charlie Clarke of Sappi, Pontsho Maruping of DST and Dr Neville Comins, CEO of the Hub.

After learning more about The Innovation Hub's 'Science Park' model, the visitors were introduced to Hub tenant Expertron's 'Cell Power' electronic voucher vending system that uses standard mobile telephones as point of sales devices, where merchants can sell to banked and non-banked clients, respectively using credit cards and cash.

They were also provided with information on an initiative that has been described as the largest multi-country ICT education project attempted in Africa. According to Bill Souders, Programme Director of the Cisco NEPAD e-schools initiative, it resulted from the World Economic Forum's Africa Economic Summit in 2003 and is aimed at bridging the digital divide in Africa by equipping schools with ICT labs and the tools students need to use ICT.

Following this visit, Minister Mangena returned for a series of interactive visits with tenant companies at the Hub. This included the Sappi Technology Centre, geo-spatial software developer Agile Works, and the Hub's Maxum Business Incubator where the Minsiter interacted with students participating in the CoachLab™ leadership development programme.

The group also visited TMI Consultancy and TCI Thoreb, two participants in the Incubator at the Hub, and a presentation by Barron Cox, Senior Director of Cisco Systems South Africa (Pty) Ltd on the establishment of a local Cisco ICT Precinct.

"We will walk this road together," Minister Mangena concluded, referring to the Hub's role of regional economic development and technology commercialisation.

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