Review of TT100 Awards Ceremony

TT100 2014 REVIEW

2 February 2015

CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria

The TT100 Awards is an annual event hosted by The Da Vinci Institute for the Management of Technology and Innovation, under the auspices of the DST. This year the awards ceremony took place on the sidelines of a first-of-its-kind event in South Africa, namely, the Innovation Bridge.  This is an event that the DST has organised to bring together innovators, financiers and technology incubators under one roof, a platform that aims to bridge the gap between them.

Speaking at the TT100 Awards ceremony in Pretoria on 2 February 2015, the Minister said that there seemed a lack of appreciation in South Africa for home-grown technological capabilities, even in areas in which the country's offerings were generally recognised as the best in the world.

The 2014 TT100 Awards Programme not only showcases the increase in the output and quality of South African technologies, but has also expanded its scope to include organisations from Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Among the recipients was Eskom's Group Executive for Sustainability, Dr Steve Lennon, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr Lennon, who also chaired the National Advisory Council on Innovation, is widely recognised locally and internationally for leadership in areas such as technological innovation and R&D, sustainability management and energy, including project development and funding and establishing partnerships and networks, such as investor relationships.

The Minister's Award for Overall Excellence was taken by Accsys (Pty) Ltd in the sector of medium enterprises, and PFK Electronics (Pty) Ltd in the large enterprises sector. These are awarded to recognise companies that consistently and progressively demonstrate a unique ability to manage core elements of the business, including technology, innovation, people, systems, research and sustainability.

In the Emerging Enterprise sector, Olive Expert Services (Pty) Ltd scooped three awards for overall excellence in the Management of Technology, Innovation and Systems.

In the category of Management of Technology, Ctrack (Digicore) was awarded within the large sector enterprises, while Technetium was awarded within the medium enterprises sector. Merlynn Intelligence Systems, extensive background in the methodologies, process, development skills and implementation strategies surrounding Predictive Analytics solutions was awarded within the small enterprises sector.

In the Large Enterprise sector, Altech Multimedia and Magnet Electrical Supplies were both awarded within the category of Management of Innovation. ID Control Solutions and Verirad were awarded as the preferred Medium Enterprise within this category whilst Campus Labs were awarded within the Small Enterprise Sector.

Within the category of Management of People, QK Meats were awarded within the Large Enterprise sector and Accsys were awarded within the Medium Enterprise sector.

Altech Multimedia and Afrox were both awarded in the category of  Management of Systems within the Large Enterprise sector. Photovoltaic Technology Intellectual Property was awarded within the Medium Enterprise sector and Wagienience was successfully awarded as a Small Enterprise.

"It is encouraging to see how, year-on-year, many of these organisations have been able to find innovative ways of sustaining their businesses, and, in many cases, have been able to export their products and services in fiercely competitive global markets," said the Minister.

(ENDS)

About TT100

The TT100 Business Awards Programme, with support from various partners such as Eskom and government was launched in 1991 by the South African Engineering Association (SAVI).  The programme has been focused on drawing attention to the importance of developing a local culture of technological innovation and excellence. TT100 has evolved into one of the foremost business awards programmes that lauds South African companies for their business prowess in the Management of Technology, Innovation, People, Systems, Research and Sustainability, regardless of their industry. The programme is as an effective vehicle for achieving growth and innovation advancement in our country, while raising awareness of the critical need for South African companies to embrace the management of technology, innovation and people in a systemic and sustainable manner. Since 1994, TT100 has enjoyed strong endorsement by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) as the major government sponsor.

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