Inventors Recognised at Innovation Evening 2015

Thursday 7 May saw UCT inventors being recognised for their achievements – Inventor Mugs were handed out to new inventors, patent certificates to those with SA patents granted in 2014 and NIPMO certificates of recognition to all inventors with granted SA patents since 2010, when the IPR Act was introduced. The highlight was the presentation of the DVC’s Award for Achievement in Innovation to Prof Edward Rybicki and Prof Kit Vaughan. See the short film produced for the event.

The annual event is a great opportunity for UCT inventors to network with one another. We were fortunate to have a talk by Franz Struwig who, having successfully commercialised his “Hindsight” radar system for bicycles inspired future innovators and entrepreneurs. This radar system warns cyclists about approach traffic behind them, which will hopefully prevent fatalities. He also provided valuable learning about crowdsourcing and from the sale of his business to Garmin.

Liesl Stoltz played two flute pieces that have been recorded on a CD that has been released by the School of Music’s record label, adding a different, cultural dimension to the evening. It has been great to see this entrepreneurial initiative taken by the music school. RCIPS has been involved with developing a business plan and strategy around marketing the CDs that will be produced. See their YouTube video.