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social, system and structure issues that hinder providing innovators with business and technical skills
growth and perpetuate poverty. taking them from concept to commercialisation.
Collaborating with, and connect, stakeholders The Innovation Support Fund and Advisory offers
from all spheres, to work together to ‘disrupt’ support to innovators that have a more focused need
thinking, and practice and create new for funding for prototype development and testing.
opportunities for active participation by all in This also includes ad hoc advisory services.
growth and renewal.
Connecting those in need with real opportunity, The annual Innovation Festival Durban (IF Durban)
by providing, inter alia, practical tools and training, brings together thought-leaders, innovators, creatives
access to resources and support for self- and business to learn about the innovative trends in
improvement, business start-ups and community- various industries. It is also an opportunity to showcase
building and upliftment. the successful innovators and innovations that are
Celebrating the city of Durban, promoting all that developed in Durban.
it has done and will do for its citizens, to attract, The Innovate Durban Pitching Den is an annual event
retain and support the business and investors hosted within the Innovation Festival. It provides an
needed to underpin growth and development. opportunity for innovators to market or pitch their
Their facilities include the Innovate Durban head office, innovative products / solutions. The top three pitches
in Durban CBD and Innovation Co-Lab, launched in 2021 are awarded prize money to develop their ideas or
and situated in the township community of Cato Manor. businesses.
Innovation Co-Lab The Capacity and Skills Development Programme
The Innovation Co-Lab is a community centre that focuses on critical and future skills development,
including but not limited to: design thinking, digital
is designed to empower people to become more literacy and skills development, robotics, virtual
innovative in problem-solving, create opportunities for reality, drone pilot training and acceleration, and
new businesses, create jobs, and tackle social issues in specialised machine training.
their community.
The Innovate Durban Research Programme produces
The centre is fully kitted with technological equipment research outputs that seek to inform the organisation,
such as 3D and resin printers, VR technology, drones, its stakeholders, beneficiaries, investors, and the
robotics kits, and laser cutters that anyone can access general public on the status of innovation within
and have use of this type of equipment. The purpose of Durban, the level and type of support available and the
developing a centre of this nature in Cato Manor is to make gaps that exist.
innovation and technology more accessible to lower
income members of the community. Plans are underway In addition to the above programmes and platforms,
to develop more Co-Lab’s in other township economies Innovate Durban offers the following services for
with an additional centre set up in Richmond, KZN. businesses:
Innovation management and advisory
Programmes and Events
Customised innovation and intrapreneurial
The Youth Innovation Challenge (YIC) is an annual programmes
programme that provides youth with an opportunity Innovation centre/hub development
to address challenges faced by various sectors and Laser cutting services
organisations in an innovative and creative way. 3D printing services
The Start Up Support Programme (SUSP) is a 12-month Venue hire
innovation and business accelerator programme Co-working space
www.innovate.durban 73
