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On December 10, a delegation of representatives from South African research and innovation institutions, led by Daan Du Toit, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) of South Africa, visited the Brno University of Technology. The program included discussions on areas of possible cooperation relevant to future relations between the Czech Republic and South Africa, as well as a tour of the university campus and faculties. The meeting was part of the delegation's multi-day visit to the Czech Republic, which also included meetings with representatives of Czech ministries.
Final group photo after the meeting between representatives of BUT and South African institutions. | Author: Václav KoníčekThe guests, accompanied by David Vaverka, economic diplomat at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Pretoria, were welcomed by BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček, who presented the university, its departments, and the strategic areas it focuses on, such as semiconductor technologies, space applications, electron microscopy, biomedical engineering, and nuclear energy.
The rector's presentation was followed by Daan Du Toit. "In South Africa, we realize that cooperation is key to progress in science and research. We believe that both countries have great potential for cooperation in this area and we would like to identify specific opportunities that could benefit both sides in the future," he explained the reasons for the DSTI mission in Czechia and mentioned transport and space research as priority areas that South Africa is interested in developing. "I believe that both sectors offer many opportunities, but it is necessary to find out what niche will make sense for both South Africa and Czechia," he added.
Daan Du Toit, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) of South Africa. | Author: Václav KoníčekThe subsequent discussion covered other common topics, such as hydrogen technologies, information security, automotive, nuclear waste processing, but also Antarctic research, for which South Africa, thanks to its geographical location, has favorable conditions and offers a developed research program in this area.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to share experiences with commercializing research results, creating spin-offs, and examples of supporting student entrepreneurship, such as the BUT Student Entrepreneurship Award competition.
BUT welcomed representatives of South African research and innovation. | Author: Václav KoníčekThe guests from South Africa were also interested in issues related to research evaluation in the Czech Republic. In his response, Rector Ladislav Janíček focused on the contribution of BUT and its industrial partners to the creation of a methodology and criteria for measuring the performance of applied research. In this category, Brno University of Technology is one of the most successful institutions in the Czech Republic.
Thembelihie Ndivou, Business Development Manager of the South African Technology Innovation Agency, was impressed by the 10% share of revenues from contractual research with BUT's industrial partners in the university's total budget. Loyiso Boyce, a representative of the business sector from the IT company Clyrofor, raised the issues of intellectual property protection and valuation and trade secrets, which are key components of contracts with industry.Thembelihie Ndivou, Business Development Manager of the South African Technology Innovation Agency. | Author: Václav KoníčekThe research profiles of the three BUT faculties were presented by their representatives. Jaroslav Koton, Vice-Dean for Research and PhD Study at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication BUT, focused primarily on activities in the areas of Smart Mobility and space applications. The Faculty of Architecture BUT was presented by Radek Toman, Vice-Dean for Foreign Relations, who introduced guests to the latest developments in the area of faculty start-ups and international cooperation. The projects of the Institute of Aeronautics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUT were presented by its director, Jaroslav Juračka, who later welcomed the guests to the faculty's clean rooms, which are used, for example, for the assembly of space satellite components. In the next part of the program, the guests also visited the Faculty of Information Technology BUT.
Director of the Institute of Aerospace Engineering, FME BUT Jaroslav Juračka. | Author: Václav KoníčekAt the end of the meeting, Rector Ladislav Janíček confirmed BUT's readiness to cooperate on specific concepts and discuss related possibilities and details that both parties could focus on. He also emphasized the importance of internationalization and international cooperation for the competitiveness of universities.