Sustainable Development

Partnerships, Industry and Innovation (SDG 9) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) for world-class infrastructure (AU Goal 10) are strong areas of contribution by SU. Universities exist as a marketplace for ideas and are the ideal environment for innovation and active entrepreneurial activities. With access to research tools and infrastructure and an imaginative young population, universities can contribute to this goal by encouraging innovation within the institution and the wider region and by funding innovations and conducting research to improve industries towards sustainability.

Achieving world-class infrastructure is central to both AU Goal 10 and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Together, these goals are critical to achieving Aspiration 2 of Agenda 2063, envisioning an integrated and prosperous Africa. By building resilient infrastructure and embracing innovation, these goals drive economic growth, create jobs, improve resources, and enhance connectivity. Cross-border infrastructure projects, technological advancements, and sustainable industrialisation are key to unlocking Africa’s potential. SU’s Innovus and its incubator LaunchLab support innovation and entrepreneurship and contribute to AU Goal 4/SDG 8 for job creation, further contributing to Africa’s economic development.  Our efforts in the classroom extend to integrating entrepreneurship into our curriculum and supporting high-impact entrepreneurship via the Allan Gray Centre for African Entrepreneurship.

A range of social impact programmes at SU contribute towards SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and AU Goal 10: World-class infrastructure that crosscuts Africa. See: Division of Social Impact’s Platform for SDG 9. 

Making Innovation Matter

SU champions a rich and vibrant culture of innovation through Innovus, its technology transfer and innovation division. Innovus. Its divisions include LaunchLab, a start-up incubator, and a technology transfer office, instrumental in developing pioneering research into practical technologies and commercial opportunities. By facilitating collaborations among researchers, industry, and entrepreneurs, Innovus drives solutions for societal challenges. Through the division, academic excellence and real-world applications produce timely solutions that support SDG 8/AU Goal 4 for job creation, reinforcing Africa’s economic development.

As a research-intensive university, aiming to solve real-world problems in service of society, SU has attracted considerable funding for various research project across the following three subject areas. 

Harnessing SU’s Intellectual Capital

Innovus’s entrepreneurial culture is evident throughout the university in our teaching, research, and societal impact. Since 2019, we have registered 27 Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, the highest for a South African Higher Education institution. Since 2014, SU has launched 30 spin-out companies across various sectors (AIR 2023). In 2023, two companies, FluoroBiotech, producing high-quality, cost-effective recombinant proteins, and Nanosene – Africa’s first bespoke polymer supplier, attracted significant funding. Gradlinc, developed with Innovus funding and launched in late 2022, is a platform that connects employers, graduates and universities on a national cloud-based platform for recruitments and internships. These innovations align with the SDGs and Agenda 2063 Goals to develop world-class infrastructure in and for Africa. 

Instant Startup – turning ideas into businesses 

The Instant Startup (IS) is a complete support tool designed to help SU entrepreneurs transition from business ideas to commercial ventures. It supports both the entrepreneur and the technology transfer office by guiding university entrepreneurs through their curated startup journey through providing modules tailored to address the critical phases of starting up or spinning out. With support from technology transfer professionals and business coaches, teams move from idea conceptualisation to an operational business with refinement of, among other things, validating customer insights, identification of applicable sustainability goals and documentation of business models. 

A tool for self-paced results

The IS tool offers short videos, articles, courses, and resources to enhance entrepreneurial knowledge. By using its practical templates and completing worksheet activities, teams will be able to engage with university and industry stakeholders effectively. This tool also enables entrepreneurs to work independently, creating capacity relief within a technology transfer office or business incubator.

Since 2023, the IS has supported SU LaunchLab’s Countdown Programme, a six-week programme helping SU’s startups engage with potential partners and customers, validate ideas, plan business, and pitch to investors on Demo Day. Combined with events like the LaunchLab Student IdeaSmash, various entrepreneurs and student boot camps, and the annual SU Hackathon, the IS supports education, networking, and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset under our students and staff members.