Two members of the Research directorate’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) have just returned from a vital benchmarking and knowledge-sharing visit from 11 to 15 May 2026, to the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Dr Mandla Hlongwane, Deputy Director: Technology Transfer, said the initiative forms part of a capacity development programme for Universities of Technology (UoTs), fully supported by the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA). The strategic engagement was designed to strengthen institutional capabilities in technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) management by exchanging proven best practices between the two specialised offices.
During the high-level discussions, the TTO delegations compared operational approaches, decision-making frameworks, and commercialisation strategies meant to translate academic research into real-world economic and societal impact. The key areas of focus included IP Portfolio Management, Protection Mechanisms, and commercialisation pathways, which are navigating technology licensing and the creation of university spin-off companies.
“The engagement clearly illustrated the vital role that TTOs play as an intellectual and commercial bridge, transforming raw academic research into viable industry applications,” said Dr Hlongwane, adding that the cross-institutional visit reinforced a core truth for the future of South African higher education.