Page 109 - KZN Top Business Portfolio 2025 V1-EBOOK

improvement, business start-ups and community- and collaboration. It is a process for creative problem
building and upliftment. solving with a user-centric approach
ƒ Celebrating the city of Durban, promoting all Through the Innovation Co-Lab, basic digital literacy
that it has done and will do for its citizens, to
attract, retain and support the business courses will be offered within the community.
and investors needed to underpin growth and eKasi Schools Programme: Innovate Durban, in
development. partnership with eThekwini Municipality, will develop
and implement a focused approach at upskilling school
Their facilities include the Innovate Durban head
office, in Durban CBD and Innovation Co-Lab, kids in the critical areas of STEM.
launched in 2021 and situated in the township The objective of the Innovation publication is to provide
community of Cato Manor. information to all stakeholders, including innovators
and investors, on the state of innovation in KZN, and
Innovation Co-Lab
to keep them abreast of the latest thinking and trends
The Innovation Co-Lab is a community centre that within the innovation space.
is designed to empower people to become more
innovative in problem-solving, create opportunities Innovate Durban’s Board Sub-Committee on Enterprise
for new businesses, create jobs, and tackle social Development and Commercialisation commissioned
issues in their community. The centre is fully kitted a research project on enterprise development and
with technological equipment such as 3D and resin commercialisation support systems within South Africa.
printers, VR technology, drones, robotics kits, and Thought Leadership: A series of open-ed opinion
laser cutters that anyone can access and have use of articles on topical subjects relevant to innovation,
this type of equipment. The purpose of developing start-up support and the creative economy. The articles
a centre of this nature in Cato Manor is to make include documented lessons learned from some of the
innovation and technology more accessible to lower innovation initiatives offered by Innovate Durban.
income members of the community.
The investment climate in eThekwini provides a serious
Programmes and Events
challenge to innovators. To show what funding exists,
The Youth Innovation Challenge seeks to take a group where there are gaps, and how innovators can access
of around 60 youth (18 - 35-year-old) through the funding, an exercise was undertaken, in partnership
innovation pipeline centred around finding innovative with the HSRC and local innovators, to develop a
solutions for challenges faced by the residents and Funding Map.
businesses of Durban.
The Start Up Support Programme is an intensive
course of start-up capacity building and support
over a 12-month period. A second tier of the
programme will be offered to those that are ready to
commercialise.
The Innovator Support Fund is an established fund
developed by Innovate Durban to support innovators
requiring funding to further develop their prototypes.
SHEshisa is a 6-month, sector agnostic accelerator
programme designed to support female founders in
and around Durban.
Start Up Boost: Beyond more formalised support
programmes offered to innovators, Innovate Durban
offers support to unlock tech/innovative startups’
growth potential through bespoke advisory services.
The annual Innovation Festival Durban (IF Durban)
brings together thought-leaders, innovators, creatives
and business to learn about the innovative trends in
industry.
Design Thinking Workshops: Design Thinking is a
powerful and critical tool to promote innovation

www.innovate.durban 107