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BioPAD or ‘Biotechnology Partnerships and Development’, a non-profit organisation initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has a clear mandate; “to grow the national Biotechnology economy.” The role is two-fold.
BioPAD acts as investor that manages the allocation of funds to identified Biotechnology projects ready for commercialization, and as facilitator in its role to assist in the management of viable projects, while promoting networking and collaboration to give impetus to the growth of our Biotechnology sector.
Recently two new members joined the BioPAD team. Zoleka Ngcete, and Richard Bowen. My meeting with them illuminated the fact that South Africa is perfectly poised to become a major contributor in providing solutions to many modern-day challenges through the sustained development of Biotechnology entrepreneurs and products.
Launched in 2006, SAMI is a partnership created specifically to facilitate the integration of Malaria research and the related capacity development in South Africa, and Africa. The aim is to stimulate the use of modern research methods, to bring key researchers together, and to generate solutions. This is where Zoleka comes in.
Zoleka Ngcete holds an MSc in Biotechnology form Rhodes University, with Diplomas in Project-, and Business Management. She joins BioPAD from the University of Pretoria where SAMI was previously hosted. “The Innovation Hub certainly offers a larger networking opportunity. The Malaria research community is small and it is my role to facilitate, and coordinate, collaboration in research efforts while being involved in human capacity development on a strategic level.”
SAMI is a network consisting of 14 institutions that include the CSIR, 7 Universities, and the Medical Research Council. It receives its funding mainly from the DST. When asked about the main challenges being faced by SAMI, Zoleka says “there is a need to intensify efforts in drug discovery and urgency to develop a strategy to promote human capacity development to address the skills gap and lack of industry-ready contributors.”
Zoleka has always been interested in science and, more specifically, “the use there-of to solve human problems.” Her goal is to develop solid strategies to address the main challenges facing Malaria research in South Africa and to “get the word out” to educate the public about SAMI, Biotechnology, and its role in society.
In an environment where contributing factors such as unemployment, poverty and HIV add to the risks and fatality rates associated with Malaria, the SAMI initiative is vital in its role to facilitate collaboration locally, and on the African Continent.
South Africa is perfectly poised to provide a platform for research and development in this area and sustained collaboration and funding will accelerate the process of drug development which is in the early stages.
Richard Bowen holds a PhD in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry from Griffith University in Australia. He joined BioPAD as Executive Strategic Manager. In this role, Richard is involved in bi-lateral negotiations between Australia and South Africa with the aim of positioning South Africa as an industry leader in niche areas of the regulated Pre-clinical Drug Development Service Industry. Leadership, support, and program management for the development of a new National Bio-industry Strategy also sits in his portfolio, which falls within the scope of initiatives to which BioPAD is contracted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Dr. Bowen has held, and still holds, honorary roles at Wits University and the University of Pretoria respectively. He currently serves as Chair on the National Steering Committee for Pre-clinical Drug Development. “There is an opportunity for Africa to become self-reliant in the area of Drug Development. Africa is faced with the diseases and has some capacity to lead in developing solutions.” The strategic focus though, is on new industry development and job creation.
The collaboration between Queensland Government, the City of Tshwane, and more broadly South Africa, presents certain obvious synergies. Similarities between geographical location, climate, and culture render similar vantage points such as Bio prospecting and Indigenous Knowledge.
Richard explains; “Bio prospecting is, in a nutshell, the process of extracting from the natural environment and testing for solutions to societal ailments and challenges, while Indigenous Knowledge means investigating traditional medicinal methods as a possible solutions to address national imperatives.” In that, both South Africa and Australia share “a rich canvas of prospects”.
“Australia has a developed economy and has a tropical environment much like that of South Africa. Collaboration in the discovery of real solutions for tropical diseases makes sense.” Africa is faced with many challenges and opportunities. The vision of a world-class clinical trails ‘hub’ on local ground is achievable because we have access to disease states, boast a developed medical fraternity with an impressive track record for providing these services to the global community, and provide competitive cost structures. With South Africa having a focus on diseases of neglect, complementary clinical trial service offerings between the two jurisdictions exist, which argues well for further discussions.
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