Innovation takes centre stage at Innovus Excellence Awards

Innovation takes centre stage at Innovus Excellence Awards

“If the past few years have taught us anything, it will be to live a life of gratitude. We have learned that life can change instantly and that nothing is guaranteed.
With this attitude, our Innovus team tackled our activities this year. And here we are today, with so much to celebrate.”

With these words, Stellenbosch University’s Chief Director: Innovation and Commercialisation, Anita Nel, welcomed this year’s innovation prize-winners at the impressive Kunjani Wines outside Stellenbosch. The event acknowledges Stellenbosch University (SU) researchers for their contribution towards innovation at the institution and their excellent achievements.

Says technology transfer manager Nolene Singh: “SU has one of the best IP portfolios in the country, which we are very proud of. The IP portfolio is directly linked to the high standard of research at the University. Our researchers are the reason for our success.”

“We would like to thank our researchers for their contribution towards innovation at SU and assure them that the Tech Transfer Team is committed to supporting them with the commercialisation of their research,” said Nolene

Anita said we can, with enormous gratitude, look back at 2022. Innovus established a record-breaking six new spinout companies, with four new ones waiting in the wing to be spinned out early in 2023. The new kids on the block are , namely Fluorobiotech (Faculty of Science), Nanosene (Faculty of Science), and Scientia Products (Faculty of Science), Banzifeet (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences), Cybarete (Faculty of Engineering), and TerraClim (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences).

The University of Stellenbosch Enterprises (USE) companies had a fantastic year, providing 342 staff jobs in 2022 (307 in 2021). Five companies paid out more than R4,4 million in dividends to USE.

This year Stellenbosch University was celebrated at the University-Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) Annual Conference in Amsterdam as runner-up for Outstanding Entrepreneurial and Engaged University based on the work done via Innovus.

Anita paid homage to spinout company GreenX Engineering who made headlines this year by impacting low-fee schools by helping them save on their energy bills, once such school was Cloetesville Primary, which received a donation of solar panels for their roof, thereby reducing their dependence on the national energy grid.

Despite many challenges, the Innovus technology transfer team saw an increase of 12 percent in their license income, having received 33 new disclosures from their researchers – the result of the excellent world-class research done at Stellenbosch University.

Madelein Klein, Director: Technology Transfer, thanked all the “creative minds” without whom, she says, they would not have been where they are. “The journey of innovation is more than just having a patent granted. It requires dedication, championing innovation for years until finally the patent is awarded.”

In closing, Anita thanked and celebrated the researchers and innovators. “Thank you for allowing us to be part of your projects and for the great relationship we have built with our faculties over many years. Nothing gives us more pleasure than seeing our institution’s technologies being applied in society and seeing our technology companies succeed.”

“We are looking forward to a brand-new year and to serving you even better than before. We will be growing our technology transfer team and launching a new initiative early next year that will make it even easier for you to work with us and will add tremendous value to our offering to campus.”.

“Thank you to every researcher. We celebrate you.”

Winners celebrated

The winners of the various excellence awards were as follow:

Spin-out Excellence Award
Innovus Group of Companies
2022
CubeSpace (Pty) Ltd

Special Impact Award
Innovus Group of Companies
2022
GreenX (Pty) Ltd

Special Award
Certification mark
2022
BanziFeet (Pty) Ltd

Faculty Award
Granted Patents
2022
Faculty of Science

Faculty Award
Invention Disclosures
2022
Faculty of Engineering

Faculty Award
Spin-out companies
2022
Faculty of Science

Patent Certificates:

Registered design certificates