Telkom and the University of the Witwatersrand today signed a partnership agreement to establish the new Telkom Industry Solutions Lab. This is a commercial research and development (R&D) facility designed to accelerate synergistic collaboration between industry and academia.
This collaboration will bring together multidisciplinary teams from Wits, the Telkom Group and beyond, and will pave the way for cutting-edge innovation in telecommunications and the development of transformative digital solutions for various industries.
The new initiative was officially launched today at a ceremony where Jonas Bogoshi, Telkom’s BCX CEO, and Wits University Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, signed the agreement that launched the project on behalf of Telkom Group.
“We are excited to sign the strategic agreement that puts this partnership with Wits into effect,” said Bogoshi.
“We see the Lab as a platform to translate academic research into commercially viable and socially impactful solutions.”
The Lab is the ‘first’ industry solutions lab to join the newly established Wits Innovation Centre (WIC), where brilliant minds from different disciplines come together to develop ideas, explore, collaborate and support innovation – from early stages to entrepreneurship and commercialisation.
“The WIC is the epicentre of our innovation ecosystem at Wits, where we harness a wellspring of diverse expertise and talent to solve complex, real-world problems. Collaboration in innovation is key and we are excited to see the cutting-edge solutions that will emerge from the Telkom Industry Solutions Lab,” said Professor Vilakazi.
The lab is an important strategic initiative to foster innovation within the Telkom Group. It is also the latest in Telkom’s long-standing tradition of partnering with South African universities, says Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Telkom Group Executive for Innovation and Transformation.
“Globally, many of the most transformative inventions have been developed through innovation partnerships between industry leaders in technology and research-intensive universities,” she explains. “Similarly, this partnership with Wits aims to foster an ecosystem where creativity and collaboration will flourish – leveraging the combined expertise and resources of the Telkom Group and the University.”
Projects include industry products and solutions, applied research for specific industries, breakthrough innovations based on local challenges, advanced technology solutions, and industry-led basic research and engineering.
The Telkom Industry Solutions Lab will be led by a team of Telkom and Wits research and innovation leaders: Dr Maletsabisa Molapo, Executive for Research and Innovation at Telkom, and Letlotlo Phohole, Senior Programme Manager of the Wits Innovation Centre.
