According to the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), a science park is an organisation managed by specialised professionals with the aim of increasing the wealth of its community by promoting innovation and the competitiveness of its associated businesses and knowledge- based institutions. In its definition, the IASP identifies the strategic objectives of a science park as being (i) stimulation and management of the flow of knowledge and technology amongst the knowledge producers, users of knowledge and the markets (ii) facilitation of the creation and growth of innovation -based companies through incubation and business start-up processes, and (iii) provision of other value -added services to its community, with particular emphasis on high quality space and facilities.  Thus, the strategic objectives of a science and technology park should comprise high quality facilities in support of innovation enabling activities.

The Innovation Hub is Africa’s first fully accredited and recognized science park, with emphasis on three core objectives, namely enterprise development, skills development, land development and tenancy. The Innovation Hub relies heavily on the presence of tenants whose operations are knowledge based, as this creates a robust community of cross pollination and collaboration between tenants and entrepreneurs.

One such tenant is The International Research Development or IRD, a development institute located at The Innovation Hub. The IRD has operated in South Africa since 1995 and since then has led in collaboration with leading universities and research institutions programs in oceanography, hydrology, modeling of complex systems, nematology and social sciences, especially in urban geography and protected areas.
A new project was started in late 2006 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) on the themes of water and soil conservation, sporting a young associated team since 2010. An International Joint Laboratory (LMI ICEMASA) was launched in 2009 in Cape Town in the field of oceanography in connection with climate change.
Several institutional European projects have involved the joint office since 2009, and in particular the ERA-Net Africa (ERAfrica), coordinated by IRD from South Africa.

They are an internationally recognized multidisciplinary organization, working mainly in partnership with the Mediterranean and intertropical countries, the Research Institute for Development is a French public institution under the double supervision of the Ministries of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. and from Europe and Foreign Affairs. Through its network and its presence in more than 50 countries, it has an original approach to research, expertise, training and knowledge sharing for the benefit of territories and countries that make science and innovation one of the most first levers of their development.

Another, is NETCB, founded in 2003. NETCB is the trusted advisor and service provider to a large number of customers in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. NETCB has advised customers, implemented solutions and provided support services to customers in over 15 countries. These are clients that vary in size; from five hundred to thousands of users in size. Using their extensive knowledge and experience with regard to Open Source Technology (OST) platforms, combined with selected proprietary vendor solutions, NETCB have been able to create Information Technology architecture for customers that is both versatile and flexible, and most notably, capable of staying ahead of the "Populist Adoption Curve".