More and more organisations are successfully commercialising new innovations within a short period, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said at the 2016 Technology Top 100 (TT100) awards last night (27 October).

The Minister said it was encouraging to see the development of new markets for South African products, especially on the African continent, and that the TT100 programme was further evidence that South Africa is an innovative African nation.

"Africahas a billion people and is one of the fastest growing regions in the world.  We are working to achieve greater economicintegrationand diversify the range of goods and services that we export," said the Minister.

"Faster growth is essential if we are to realise the vision of sharing our country's wealth. But it is not sufficient.  We need to ensure that growth is also inclusive. The benefits of growth need to be more equitably shared," she added.

The TT100 awards recognise technological excellence and the programme is committed to increasing employment, providing hope for budding entrepreneurs in the technology field. The programme also demonstrates that developing countries are capable of competing with the best in the world

Implemented by the Da Vinci Institute and funded by the Department of Science and Technology.  The awards have been recognising innovation and technological prowess in South African companies for more than 25 years.

Last night's awards also featured a fashion show interepreting the various award categories, such as Management of Innovation, Management of People, and Management of Technology.

Winners exemplify those who, through perseverance and a highly developed sense of innovation, have become recognised as significant players in the global economy.

Allied Electronics Corporation Limited (Altron), a large enterprise specialising in information and communication technologies, emerged as this year's top company in the TT100 Awards.

Scooping four awards, the level 2 broad-based black economic empowerment company (which employs over 12 000 people globally, and was therefore in the Large Enterprise Category) received the Minister's Award for Overall Excellence, the MTN Award for Excellence in the Management of Innovation, the Eskom Award for Excellence in the Management of Systems and the Greg Tosen Award for Excellence in the Management of Technology.

Altron has access to the latest technologies worldwide, while its own research and development programmes actively encourage and promote internal technology implementation, and the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property.

SVA Innovate, a technology-based company that develops and manages data systems for customers in the retail and vehicle management industry, followed with three awards in the Emerging Enterprise Category, one of which is the Director-General Award for Overall Excellence.

Minister Pandor, congratulated the winners and lauded the rapid commercialisation of new innovations. However, Minister Pandor pointed out that a number of large companies invested most of their research budgets in offshore research organisations. In addition, the large percentage of basic and base technologies implied that organisations spent less time on developing new technologies and were holding on to established technologies.

The large number of global partners was also a concern, as it meant there was limited local technology development taking place.

"There is an urgent need to create a mindset that local technology is world-class. Government procurement policies that favour local developments could support in catalysing a change in this landscape," said the Minister.

Winners in the Small Enterprise Category included Technetium, X/procure Sofware SA, Khonology, ColonyHQ and Systemic Logic Innovation Agency.

Issued by the Department of Science and Technology.

Enquiries:

Veronica Mohapeloa at 082 882 3818

Lunga Ngqengelele at 082 566 0446

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LIST OF WINNERS

Management of Innovation

Emerging enterprise winner: SVA Innovate Pty (Ltd)

Small enterprise winner: COLONYHQ (Pty) Ltd

Medium enterprise winner: Cornastone Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd

Large enterprise winner: Allied Electronics Corporation Limited

 

Management of People

Emerging enterprise winner: None

Small enterprise winner: X/procure Software SA (Pty)

Medium enterprise winner: Accsys (Pty) Ltd

Large enterprise winner: Allied Electronics Corporation Limited

 

Management of Technology

Emerging enterprise winner: SVA Innovate Pty (Ltd)

Small enterprise winner: Technetium (Pty) Ltd

Medium enterprise winner: Cornastone Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd

Large enterprise winner: Allied Electronics Corporation Limited

 

Management of Systems

Emerging enterprise winner: Kirkonsult (Pty) Ltd

Small enterprise winner: Khonology

Medium enterprise winner: Accsys (Pty) Ltd

Large enterprise winner: Allied Electronics Corporation Limited

 

Ministers Award for Overall Excellence

Medium enterprise winner:  Accsys (Pty) Ltd

Large enterprise winner: Allied Electronics Corporations Limited

 

Director-General Award for Overall Excellence

Emerging enterprise winner: SVA Innovate Pty (Ltd)

Small enterprise winner: Colony HQ (Pty) Ltd, System Logic Innovation Agency (Pty) Ltd