“Calling all researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs and innovators – the following portals provide a constant stream of businesses searching for solutions to their technology challenges. The challenges represent real business deals if your solution is chosen, and come from different regions across SA and Southern Africa.
Visit the three portals: openix.theinnovatiohub.com connectandsolve.co.za oiregionalconnect.com, or email [email protected] for more information.
Design and development of a solution for the management, handling, disposal and/or reuse of water treatment residue
The disposal of water treatment residue remains a global challenge and many water utilities are faced with escalating costs associated with the management of water treatment residue (WTR) along with diminishing physical space in which to store the WTR. Rand Water is no exception and is therefore seeking a permanent, novel, cost effective and sustainable solution to remove or process for reuse purposes both existing WTR stock levels, as well as new WTR generated in the ongoing process of treating water for human consumption. Proposals are invited from interested parties across all engineering and scientific disciplines, including universities, individual innovators, small and large companies.
Challenge owner: Rand Water
Business opportunity: Partner with, or become a long-term supplier of solutions to a leading water treatment utility, in addressing the management of water treatment residue (WTR) generated as a by-product of the treatment of water for human consumption. Deadline for submissions: September 19 2014
Details: [email protected]
Cost-effective and simultaneous conversion of grey water and sea water into industrial water
The Eastern London Industrial and Development Zone (ELIDZ), a state-owned company based in the Eastern Cape, invites interested parties with innovative solutions to respond with proposals pertaining to a technology or capability for the cost-effective conversion of both grey water and seawater into industrial water that can be distributed to industrial users.
Challenge owner: Anonymous
Business opportunity: The possible procurement of a technology or capability for the cost-effective conversion of both grey water and seawater into industrial water that can be distributed to industrial users
Deadline for submissions: September 19 2014
Details: [email protected]
Technology driven business model and support methodology for small-scale animal protein producers
?A multi-national consortium with expertise, product offerings and know-how in animal protein production (poultry and aquaculture) is seeking a novel technology supported business model and methodologies with which to support and expand its growing client base of existing and emerging small-scale farmers in the Eastern Cape.
The successful offering should include both business model and technology platforms for optimising production, management, logistics and marketing throughout the complete agricultural value chain; with the ability to interface across a large geography, and serve as a platform for rapid market development amongst small-scale farmers active in animal protein production.
Challenge owner: Virbac?
Business opportunity: Uptake of both low-tech and high-technology driven business model and methodology for the support of emerging and existing small-scale animal protein producers to optimise production, marketing and business management.
Deadline for submissions: October 10 2014?
Details: [email protected]
Customised, flexible workflow and status reporting solution for managing a loan application process, and online interface between clients and the bank’s lending department
A large credit institution in sub-Saharan Africa is seeking a workflow solution with which to radically improve the turnaround times for processing customer loan applications. The solution needs to plug into the bank’s existing ERP (such as SAP) management and financial suite with no (or minimum) changes to the ERP suite, and provide management information, status reporting, status escalation and client interfacing as a stand-alone ERP plug-in solution.
Challenge owner: Anonymous
Business opportunity: Hosting and rollout of a customised plug-in workflow solution?
Deadline for Submissions: October 10 2014
Details: [email protected]
Reduced wear, impact absorbing spout liners for high velocity, high energy ocean sludge dredging application
?Pursue significant cost-savings for, and increased production uptime of Debmarine Namibia’s marine mining processes of pumping diamond-bearing sludge from the ocean floor to the surface, by extending the effective operating life of impact reducing absorptive wear linings shielding the nozzle spouts of sludge pumping drill pipes.
Challenge owner: Debmarine
Business ?Opportunity: ?Reduce the full?cost-to-company associated?with recurring?replacement of?existing spout?liners, with said?costs incurred?due to increased maintenance man-hours, material costs, safety risk mitigation and overall reduced production.
Deadline for submissions: October 10 2014
Details: [email protected]
This article is part of a larger supplement. This has been paid for by the M&G‘s advertisers and the contents signed off by the organisers of the Innovation Summit