TIA directors short-listed

The National Assembly will tomorrow approve a shortlist of directors for the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), a new government organisation created to create revenue from state-funded research and development.

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group reports the National Assembly`s Science and Technology portfolio committee approved the list last Tuesday.

The minutes record the committee agreed to nominate the following 10 candidates:
– Hellen Brown
– Cheryl Carolus
– Dr Steven T Cornelius
– Susan Harrison
– Alan Lax
– Dr Patrick Ngwenya
– Ross H R Norton
– Dr Mamphele Ramphele
– Dr Msomi Nhlanhla Sobantu
– Gordon Craig Venter

Five other were “preferred to serve as reservists”:
 

– Dr Michael Oswald Albers

– Prof. Adam Rom Martin
– Samuel M Mphomela
– Dr Iqbal Surve
– Fatima Vawda

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has previously said it hopes to have the TIA open for business by July.

The TIA will be established under the Technology Innovation Agency Bill, which was signed into law by President Kgalema Motlanthe in November.

The legislation forms part of the DST’s 10-year innovation plan to promote innovation through the funding, support and commercialisation.

The TIA is a public funding agency that will go towards ensuring local research and development into commercial products and services.

The new agency’s main objectives are to stimulate the development of technology-based products, services and enterprises; develop a technology base for the South African economy; facilitate the development of human capital for innovation; and provide the primary bridge between the formal knowledge base and the real economy.