If the national innovation competition is anything to go by, a small number of SA university students are bang on the money: they have the ability to apply academic research to the development and commercialisation of products that the market wants.
This year, the second year of the competition, saw entries from 19 of SA's 22 higher education institutions.
Entries spanned a variety of topics including nutrition, security, elections and energy.
Students from the University of Stellenbosch, which has a strong focus on innovation and the commercialisation of research, won the first and second prizes, while a trio of electrical engineers from the University of Cape Town were third.
The purpose of the competition is to promote a culture of entrepreneurship through technology innovation among SA's finest young minds.
"Innovation is not just about great ideas, pushing the boundaries of engineering and medical science or instilling national pride," says Eugene Lottering, executive director of the Innovation Fund. The fund runs the competition on behalf of the department of science & technology. "I'd go so far as saying that innovation can only really be considered great if it is translatable into tangible products and services."
Top honours went to Wernich de Villiers, whose Line Trap Tester has the potential to make an impact on the high-voltage power line carrier (PLC) maintenance industry worldwide. A local company has been created as a result of his research. It uses a portable instrument to carry out safer and more effective maintenance on high-voltage PLC systems without requiring a power outage. The technology is being marketed globally. Gerrit Smith and Johannes Strauss were awarded second place for their Solar Submersible Water Pump, another entry from the University of Stellenbosch. Their objective is to develop a range of solar water pumps to cater to all possible customer needs.
Jean-Claude Malengret, Richard Parry and Tristan Phillips from the University of Cape Town won third place for their Next Generation Personal Tracking Device. This allows a user to track anything via the Internet using a cellphone. Users can SMS or log on to the device via the Internet and retrieve its location, speed, altitude, inclination and numerous other readings.
"We started looking at remote monitoring and tracking systems after learning that solar panels get stolen faster than they can be put up," says Malengret. "Our first product was designed to fit into the junction box of a solar panel. When the panel is moved, the device sends an alert via SMS. Users can access the device via the Internet or cellular phone and track its location using its inbuilt global positioning system."
This solution has since been expanded to enable anyone to track anything. For instance, it could be a lower-cost option for anyone wanting to monitor and track their own vehicle or vehicle fleet.
More recently, the three electrical engineers have tailored the product for athletes such as runners, cyclists and canoeists. Called i-Track Sport, it also has an inbuilt global positioning system with memory and an interface to a personal computer. "After your training you plug it into your computer and, using our software you can access regional maps and view your route. The software also provides analysis on your highest altitude, top speed, average speed and the like. "
The competition, which targets higher education institutions, where new ideas and innovations are generated, requires that students submit a business plan.
"This is the most effective route to develop a more research-focused skills base that can move SA towards a knowledge economy," says science & technology minister Mosibudi Mangena.
