Event: GAP Innovation Competition Awards Ceremony, Thursday, 29 February 2024
Venue: The Innovation Hub and Virtual
Programme Director: Mr William Lehong and Ms Thuli Khanyile
Honourable Bafuze Sicelo Yabo, Member of Portfolio Committee on Higher Education , Science and Innovation
Adv Kgotso Maja, Group Chairperson of Gauteng Growth and Development Agency
Chairpersons of GGDA Subsidiary Boards
TIHMC Board Members
Mr Saki Zamxaka, Acting Group CEO of Gauteng Growth and Development Agency
Mr Mothibedi Matshele, Interim CEO for The Innovation Hub Management Company (TIHMC)
Mr Vusi Skosana, standing in for Acting CEO for Technology Innovation Agency ,
Dr Nhlanhla Msomi, President, and Chairman of Africa Bio
Dr Bheka Zulu, CEO of Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (Tasez)
Dr Nompumelelo Obokoh, CEO of SACNASP
Prof Kristy L. Towry, Professor for Accounting at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, Georgia
German International Cooperation ( GIZ)Representatives led by Ms Lilian Laurisch : Head of South African German Program (SAGEN)
Stakeholders in the innovation, research and development
Members of the GAP Innovation Competition Adjudication Panels
Representatives from all sectors present
Our most important guests of the various GAP categories
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Venue: The Innovation Hub and Virtual
It has been an honour to be part of this event, we have now come to the end of the programme. On behalf of The Innovation Hub, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the people who burned the candle on both ends to make this award ceremony possible, to all the winners and panel of judges we salute your resilience and dedication to bring forth your innovations.
The Gauteng Innovation Competition is an annual contest that seeks to foster innovative entrepreneurial ideas to spur the growth of the Gauteng economy whilst contributing to job creation and the reduction of poverty. As The Innovation Hub, we are looking forward to incubating you in our incubation programmes and offering your business support to ensure that your innovations flourish and become commercially viable. From winning this competition today , we are looking forward to seeing you making strides in your respective sectors and reading your stories in the media that you are contributing to challenges faced by our country.
We are proud of the leadership and the continued support that we always receive from our Shareholders, Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency as it contributes to job creation and poverty alleviation that transforms the Gauteng economy so that we can compete nationally and globally to improve the competitiveness of our economy.
I therefore wish to also take this opportunity to thank our partners in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Technology Innovation Agency, Emory Guizzetta Business School, Atlanta Georgia University. Furthermore, I am delighted and also want to thank our new partners in the Innovation Ecosystem , National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), GIZ/ South African German Program (SAGEN), Our tenant South African Council for Natural Scientific Profession (SACNASP) , Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone and the Innovator Trust as well as independent panel of judges for their valuable backing since this competition began. The success of these innovators is dependent on collaboration, as we cannot do it alone, and as the Africa Proverb indicates and I quote, “Motho ke motho ka batho babang” meaning a person is a person because of others no one is an island.
I would also like to thank The Innovations Hub teams who have worked tirelessly to make sure that this event becomes a success:
These are the people who made all this possible and continuously work on the background to ensure that the event happen.
To our esteemed guests who have taken time out of their busy schedules to grace this occasion with their presence. Your presence has added an extra spark to this event and made it even more special.
To our winners –Congratulations! Your achievements are shaped by the strength of the foundations you set. I salute you for your commitment to excellence. A total commitment to excellence is paramount to reaching the ultimate in performance. You have worked hard, your innovations will make an impact in our society and increase the knowledge economy in our province and increase global competitiveness
We hope to see you making strides with your innovations and good luck.
To all our guests, thank you for coming and travel safely.
I Thank you.
