The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) provides funding and support along the innovation value chain in South Africa. This includes seed funding, royalty grants, IP development funds, industry matching funds, and technology development infrastructure like technology platforms and stations. TIA also provides business support services and invests in project financing, which increased from R200 million in FY2011 to R300 million in FY2013. TIA works with government initiatives on interns and graduates and supports the innovation ecosystem. It has helped bridge the innovation chasm with several South African companies through focused funding and business support, facilitating youth innovation programs and the success of various industry projects in life sciences, advanced materials, and medical devices.

1. TIA AND ITS SUCCESSES

2. TIA positioning within the innovation
value chain
2

3. Funding Instruments
Technology
Development
Youth
Technology
Innovation
Seed Fund
Royalty-grants
IP Fund
Industry
Matching
CUSTOMER CENTRIC SOLUTIONS
ALONG THE INNOVATION VALUE CHAIN
3

4. Technology Development Infrastructure
Technology
Platforms
Technology
Stations
Industry
Clusters
4

5. Business Support
• IP Management
• Financial management
• Legal Services
• Marketing
• Business Plan Development
• Governance
• Networking
5

6. Use of TIA investment funds
Project financing
350
300
250
R 200
’
150
m
100
50
0
FY2011
FY2012
FY2013
6

7. Use of TIA investment funds
7

8. Enabling the Innovation
Ecosystem
8

9. Link to government outcomes
ISD Initiative:
Interns
Graduation
Farmers at the Nguni ART launch
9

10. Bridging the innovation
chasm
• Kapa Biosystems
• Varibox CVT Technologies
• IBatech
10

11. Youth Innovation
• Youth Technology Innovation Fund established in 2011/12
• 19 prototypes being developed
• 2 functional prototypes completed and being tested
11

12. Industry
Success Story
Life Sciences and
Diagnostic tools
Aggressive US growth. 51% year on year
increase in revenue for FY2013
Advanced Material
(Composites)
Developed Continuous Fiber Reinforced
Thermoplastics (CFRTP) process which
resulted in award of supply contact by Airbus
to manufacture safety-critical frame clips.
Mineral Processing
equipment supplier
Substantial sales growth with customers in
R.S.A, Australia, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia
and Chile, Finland, Kazakstan, Papua New
Guinea and Morocco.
Entry of product (medical aid reimbursement
secured) onto South African market. Plans
underway to access International Market.
Won the 11th NSTF Awards for outstanding
contributions made to SETI in the SMME
category.
Regenerative
Medicine/Medical
Devices

13. Industry
Success Story
Medical Devices
Achieved global sales of their various catheter and
stent devices, one of the very few SA medical
devices Companies to do so.
Advanced thermal
sensors
Several joint development agreements in place
with international clients* from all continents,
spanning the aerospace (Xerox PARC and NASA
JPL), medical, energy storage, animal health and
printed electronics (ThinFilm Electronics ASA)
Thin film solar
technology
A semi commercial plant to produce solar panels
has been built at the Technopark in Stellenbosch.
The technology has been licensed to Bosch,
Germany and Sunvim, China. Several license
prospects for Poland and Italy. Interest from local
investors (including the Central Energy Fund) to
build first turn-key production plant based on this
technology.

14. Concluding remarks
• Increased spend on project funding
• Ministerial review report and benchmarking study will form basis of
new strategic direction
• Focus on improving operational efficiencies
• Increased stakeholder engagement
14

15. THANK YOU