Home

Home of Innovation Ideas and Critical Thinking.

Explore Innovation through the mind sets of diverse personalities, contribute and share the experience.

The Gauteng Innovation Observatory

Bringing Innovations to Light

"It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson R. Mandela

A library of interconnected and diverse ideas, filled with a document and database i.e docuBase of case studies, research and interviews with forward and innovative thinkers.

The Gauteng Innovation Observatory is an ecosystem of innovative ideas. A North West University (NWU) initiative in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial government through the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) has conducted and will continue the process of conducting research, interviews, case studies and sharing of innovative ideas with various local and international leading thinkers and partners in various fields of industry.

The Innovation Observatory Background

OUR WORK ALIGNS WITH:

1. South African Government National Development Plan 2030 “Our Future-Make it Work” which;

Seeks “to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030 through uniting South Africans, unleashing the energies of its citizens, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capability of the state and leaders working together to solve complex problems”.
Outlines that “research and innovation by universities, science councils, departments, NGOs, and the private sector has a key role to play in improving South Africa’s global competitiveness”.

To View or Download the NDP 2030 Document, Click the button below.

2. Gauteng Provincial Government’s – Growing Gauteng Together 2030

Underscoring Gauteng’s dream towards:

A seamlessly integrated, socially cohesive, sustainable and economically inclusive Gauteng City Region (GCR). A place of opportunities, supported by a growing economy, smart, innovation-driven and sustainable industries, an accountable, responsive, transparent and clean government, and a healthy, active citizenry.

Through:

Facilitating and promoting economic growth and development throughout the province.
Focussing on enhancing inclusivity of the economy while improving competitiveness.
Creating an enabling environment for jobs to be created in the province by making interventions in the key economic sectors.

To View or Download the GGT2030 Document, Click the button below.

3. North-West University’s Community engagement

Of believing that:

As a leading teaching-learning and research institution with a footprint that spans two of South Africa’s provinces, North-West University recognises that it has a responsibility to ensure that the wealth of knowledge generated via the university’s three campuses is harnessed to the benefit of the community it serves.
Acknowledging that had it not been for the generous support and rich material generated by the very communities we serve, we would not have been able to gain recognition as an institution of higher learning that harnesses diversity and pursues innovation with the specific intent to make a meaningful difference in South Africa and the world.
Admitting that, as much as the university’s academic pursuits can and will benefit its communities and society at large, we firmly believe that neither knowledge-generating nor knowledge-sharing should be a one-sided affair.
Thus, as much as we share our research findings and innovative ideas with society in general, we make it our business to engage with our communities to learn from and be taught by them.

In fact, North-West University’s core business activities can only be regarded as significant and sustainable if we, as the academic partner, succeed in actively engaging with our communities of interest and communities of practice to ensure that both the university’s expertise and the rich experiences of the people we serve are put to best possible use. Visit the North West University’s Website. Click the link button below.

Ten Key Priority Sectors for Innovation

The Gauteng Provincial Governments (GPG) Ten high-growth sectors in which innovations and ideas are open for submission, improvement, deliberation and implementation are:

Energy
Transportation & Logistics
Information Communications Technology (ICT) & Digital services
Tourism and Hospitality
Food & Beverages, Agro-processing & Agribusiness
Construction & Infrastructure
Automotive, Aerospace & Defence
Financial services
Cultural & Creative services
Cannabis industry.

Expansion of Ideas

The central premise of the Innovation Observatory is that all ideas are interconnected. This Observatory is dedicated to bringing these ideas and thinking to the fore so as to better understand and implement them. To assist communities and public of Gauteng & South Africa to be more innovative and structure these ideas into practical solutions. The innovation repository is available to the public and helps in chronicling some of the most provocative human ideas that have emerged through discussions and ideas. This Web Portal aims to highlight the interconnections between seemingly disparate thinkers using a simple navigational system where every thought leads to another and generates better innovation.

A reason to love the Innovation Observatory

Our team of researchers and experts have packaged this repository for you. Immerse your mind through various documents and media with us.

The Innovation Observatory docuBase

This interesting and interactive database repository looks to inspire users to explore a panoply of ideas from interviews, documents, case studies and research creating their own paths through some of the most exciting innovation and research in the 10 key-growth sector fields.