text: The Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, will launch the Grassroots Innovation Programme (GIP), an initiative aimed at supporting local innovators to develop and commercialise their ideas and products.
  Taking place at Tshwane University of Technology's Soshanguve South Campus on Thursday, 28 March, the launch event is the culmination of a process which started in January 2019 with a call for local innovations.
  The call attracted a huge response, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be supporting at least 100 local innovators to develop their concepts through the GIP. The participants had to come up with proposals, at the early proof of concept stage, with the potential to solve social challenges or provide technology solutions to specific needs.
  An initiative of the DST, the GIP will be implemented by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to help boost inclusive socio-economic development in South Africa through research and innovation.
  The DST is scaling up the GIP following a successful pilot implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) between 2016 and 2018, during which several projects were funded to the value of R2 million. One of these, the Geyser Hot Spot, is currently in the market and can be retrofitted on both horizontal and vertical high-pressure geysers, allowing consumers to access about 50 litres of water at a temperature of at least 50 degrees Celsius in less than 30 minutes.
  The media are invited to the launch, which will include an exhibition involving established innovators from around the country.
  The media are also invited to take part in a tour of the Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT), which is also located on the campus. The IAT is one of the technology stations that will be assisting innovators involved in the GIP.
  Details of the event:
  Tour of the Institute for Advanced Tooling
  Date: Thursday, 28 March 2019
  Venue: Institute for Advanced Tooling
  Tshwane University of Technology
  Soshanguve South Campus
  Time: 09:30 - 09:50
  Official launch of the Grassroots Innovation Programme
  Date: Thursday, 28 March 2019
  Venue: Gencor Community Hall
  Tshwane University of Technology
  Soshanguve South Campus
  Time: 10:30 - 12:00
  Issued by the Department of Science and Technology
  For further information, kindly contact Veronica Mohapeloa at 083 400 5750 (Department of Science and Technology) or Seema Ramnarain at 083 388 3100 (Technology Innovation Agency).