Regional innovation for economic development
The Western Cape Economic Development Partnership's (EDP's) first Partnership Exchange Lab, in support of a regional innovation system, will be held at the 15 On Orange Hotel in Cape Town on Thursday, 27 March 2014.
The one-day workshop follows extensive stakeholder engagement by the EDP. It marks the launch of the Western Cape Regional Innovation Network, which will link innovative large and small businesses, four universities with extensive research capacity, other public research institutions, and various entities that support knowledge-intensive activities to innovate in the province.
Innovation hubs and networks - globally acknowledged as central to the advancement of countries - are most productive when closely integrated into regional systems that actively facilitate collaboration, enable partnerships and drive execution.
To this end, the EDP will host industry bodies, government officials, thought leaders, innovators and senior executives from research and development organisations, venture capital firms, Western Cape universities and more to participate in co-designing a programme of action for the Regional Innovation Network.
Further, the workshop provides for a presentation by award-winning South African innovator Kerryne Krause-Neufeldt of I-Slices Manufacturing and a panel discussion including Dr Paul Johl of IDC Venture Capital, McLean Sibanda, CEO of The Gauteng Innovation Hub and Pio Lumaga, a leading global innovator and designer.
Case studies from leading practitioners in innovation partnerships also form part of the programme, such as the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) under the auspices of Green Cape, and the Better Living Challenge under the auspices of the Cape Craft and Design Institute.
The programme will conclude, appropriately on the eve of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, with an interactive jazz session where delegates will be able to learn about leadership, partnership and innovation from the world of music.
The EDP and its partners recognise the role that innovation can play in increasing the economic contribution of knowledge generation and application in South Africa. The Partnership Exchange, the EDP's official World Design Capital 2014 project (#228), is aimed at "Designing Effective Partnerships for Innovation". The aim of this Partnership Exchange Lab is to introduce a regional innovation system that will strengthen collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders and drive innovation in the region - not only to surface new solutions to complex problems, but also for the purposes of job creation and capacity building.
Date: 27 March 2014Venue: 15 On Orange Hotel, Cape Town