TUT’s inaugural symposium equips students with entrepreneurship and innovation knowledge

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), through its Innovation and Technology Transfer Office (ITTO), hosted the TUT Innovation, Incubation, Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship (TIICE) Symposium at its Polokwane Campus, to equip students with knowledge of entrepreneurship, intellectual property protection and the commercialisation of innovative ideas.

Students attending the symposium. Opening the programme, Professor Ilze Swarts encouraged students to gain entrepreneurial knowledge, make informed decisions, and recognise the potential of their skills to create employment and establish successful businesses.

In her keynote address, Dr Kim Lamont-Mbawuli of the ITTO outlined the process of turning an invention into a commercial opportunity, emphasising the importance of disclosing it to the ITTO before publishing or pitching it. She further explained how inventions can be protected, marketed and licensed, or developed into businesses.

Dibuseng Modise from the ITTO explained how TUT’s Centres, Institutes, Technology Stations, Hubs and Incubators link the university with industry.

Students also heard from a TUT-incubated small business, while Ms Michelle Mazibuko introduced the Road Manufacturing Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (RMCERI), which offers business development services, mentorship, coaching and financial assistance. The Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) outlined national support for growing small businesses, and Thomas Kgatle presented the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), SWEEP and Hackathon programmes.

The symposium highlighted the support available at TUT to help students turn ideas into viable commercial opportunities through innovation, entrepreneurship and business development, with job creation as a key outcome. Students with an idea or invention were encouraged to approach the ITTO for guidance on protecting and developing it before publishing or pitching it.