10 Opportunities for Entrepreneurs offered by The Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub’s mission is to promote the socio-economic development and competitiveness of Gauteng in targeted sectors through innovation by creating new business opportunities and adding value to mature companies in technology and knowledge based sectors, fostering entrepreneurship and incubating new innovative companies, providing attractive spaces for emerging knowledge companies, ensuring human capacity development of critical skills matching industry needs in priority sectors an enhancing the synergy between industry, government and academic and research institutions.
Listed below are the opportunities that The Innovation Hub offers for the Entrepreneurs…..
1. Maxum incubation programmes – Which provide an enabling environment where start-ups from the knowledge-intensive sectors including sustainable development, green economy information and communications technology (ICT), biosciences, electronics, and advanced manufacturing and materials, are fast tracked to compete in the global village.
2. CoachLab@HUB at The Innovation Hub – Gives a unique experience, where entrepreneurship and innovation are instilled in tomorrow’s business leaders. The unique and exciting CoachLab@HUB program will assist you to enter the market place as an active, industry-ready knowledge worker. You will become part of South Africa’s world-class skills resource base with finely honed business skills to help you make your mark in the dynamic, fast-moving business sector.
3. The Innovation Hub – Is running four high profile innovation competitions for Gauteng-based researchers and entrepreneurs with plans to be global leaders in the Green, Medical, ICT, and Biotech sectors. Entries for the competitions open throughout the year to access more than R3 million in seed funding and incubation services.
4. Green and Sustainable Development Projects – This program is responsible for identifying, stimulating and supporting green innovations that have strong socio-economic impacts, with the ultimate aim of being absorbed into a green economy. It identifies, stimulates, supports R&D commercialisation and innovations in priority sectors of the green economy, to be fully mainstream into the Gauteng economy.
5. Climate Innovation Centre – The CIC supports innovation by offering a full suite of financing and capacity building services to technologists, entrepreneurs, and SMEs that address challenges in starting and scaling up their climate technology ventures. In addition to incubating promising start-ups, CIC intends to bridge local funding gaps by providing dedicated proof-of-concept and seed funds to entrepreneurs. In parallel to funding assistance, the CIC also provides business advisory and training services, market intelligence products, access to product testing facilities, and government engagement on policy. In this way, a centre acts as a national focal point, coordinating efforts in promoting the growth of locally relevant climate sectors. The CIC provides a platform to create international business-to-business linkages, enhance knowledge sharing, facilitate trade, and achieve national green growth objectives.
6. mLab – Is a mobile applications laboratory, which incubates innovation and entrepreneurship in the mobile channel. Encouraging and supporting the use of mobile solutions in government service delivery, the facility at The Innovation Hub is the headquarters of a regional initiative covering Southern African countries.
7. OpenIX – Is an Open Innovation Exchange that delivers tangible solutions to real challenges posted by solution seekers in government and the private sector, and connects leading African researchers and entrepreneurs with new opportunities to commercialise their innovations. OpenIX is managed by The Innovation Hub, Africa’s first internationally accredited science park with the IASP and a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development
8. Brown Bag Sessions – The objective of the Brown Bag networking events is to facilitate and strengthen communication, collaboration and co-creation amongst resident Hub Community members, in concert with the goals of a science and technology park. In order to strengthen collaboration and co-creation, the Brown Bag events are pitched so as to provide updates on developments within the innovation eco-system or sectors relevant to the Hub community. Thus, from time to time the Brown Bag Events comprise educational, informational as well as networking sessions.
9. Enterprise Development – Accelerates enterprise development to support the establishment and growth of knowledge based enterprises. It provides innovation best practices, organization design, and leadership development.
10. Business Support and Development – Business Support Services enables residents to concentrate on their core activity: innovation. The services not only free the entrepreneurs from back office and administrative tasks, but also contribute to lowering the cost of doing business. The following instruments have been identified to support TIH resident companies:
