The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina will deliver keynote address during the 2020 Innovation Summit’s ‘Investors Garage’ information session, where she will cast the spotlight on innovation, technology and the impact of COVID-19 on world economies during a first of its webinar that will take place on Thursday, 1 October 2020.

The South African Innovation Summit is an annual flagship event on the South African Innovation Calendar that nurtures, develops and showcases African innovation, as well as facilitate innovation thought-leadership. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), is in partnership with the South African Innovation Summit (SAIS) to bring the 2020 Innovation Summit which will held from 30 September to 02 October 2020.  The event will for the first time be held virtually, due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Gina points out that this year’s virtual Summit will bring together innovation leaders from different countries, backgrounds, disciplines and worldviews, to create an innovative environment that will prosper the South African economy and have a positive effect on entrepreneurs’ competitive edge.

Gina points out that the Inventors Garage competition is a platform where participants showcase their creations at the summit. The competition is a tribute to the spirit of innovation and the work of dedicated inventors whose pioneering inventions provide answers to some of the biggest challenges of our times.

“I am looking forward to observing and soliciting feedback on how inventors have managed to adapted and channel their creative talents during the so called ‘new-normal’ we have all been subjected to as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has since uprooted every aspect of life as we knew it,” says Gina.

Gina adds that the summit is foreseen to bring about an increase in awareness of innovation and new digital technologies especially to the existing black industrialists and grassroots innovators through collaboration with different economic actors.

“We will also be will launching a Grassroots Innovators Programme called the Kgwebo Innovation Promotion Programme (KIPP) during the Summit 2020. We have partnered with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) on the KIPP and implementation of the programme throughout the country will happen in line with the rural and township economic revitalization focus of government. Support for grassroots innovators who wish to apply will be provided during the launch,” she says.

Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (012) 394 1650
Mobile: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: The Department of Trade and Industry
Follow us on Twitter: @the_dti

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