TUT students encouraged to enter ventilator design competition 

31 May 2021

Mahlale Innovation Consortium (MIC), a partner to the Tshwane University of Technology, has launched a competition that gives students an opportunity to design ventilator solutions, related services and business ideas that can make significant contributions to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The competition aims to find alternative means for emergency ventilations. The quest is specifically for equipment that can be used in states of emergency, for the decentralised treatment of non-intensive care Covid-19 patients in order to reduce hospitalisation.

Registered South African students and learners can enter their creative and innovative ideas, concepts and self-improvised solutions in three categories.

  • The first category is an open category for any service or product that they have implemented to flatten the curve during Covid-19. 
  • The second is an innovation category for any new business idea, invention or innovation that can be used to combat Covid-19 or other health-related threats in the future.
  • The third category is an engineering category for any improvements, innovations or concepts that will reduce the shortage of ventilators in South Africa.

Dr Hamilton Mphidi, Manager: Innovation and Technology Transfer Office mentioned that innovation and creativity are two words heard frequently in higher education today. “As TUT’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Office, we strongly encourage our students to participate in Mahlale Innovation Consortium’s ventilator design competition. We see the components of innovation competitions as fun, creative, diverse, collaborative, and intuitive. At the same time, such competitions give students practical experience to explore their inventions. Taking part in this type of competition takes us one-step closure to accomplishing our goal of inculcating the culture on innovation and creativity in the University. If something does not work, we can learn from it, and then modify and try again, so students must take this challenge and have fun,” he explained.

Entries are now open and can be submitted until 8am on Monday, 14 June. After this, the top nine entries will be selected. The virtual prize giving will then follow on 30 June 2021, where cash prizes will be awarded.

For more information on the competition or to enter, visit the MIC website at http://mahlaleinnovationconsortium.co.za

For more information on the Tshwane University of Technology, please contact Phaphama Tshisikhawe, Corporate Affairs and Marketing.
Tel: +27 12 382 4711 Email: tshisikhawerpt@tut.ac.za