The Department of Science and Technology’s Innovation Fund has called on South African scientists, engineers and inventors to submit investment proposals for development of new and inventive technologies in the areas of renewable energy, metals, materials and manufacturing technologies.

“The need to reduce South Africa’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy has inspired this call for proposals,” said Innovation Fund Intellectual Property Management office head McLean Sibanda.

About 75% of South Africa’s primary energy needs are currently provided by coal.

“We are aware that no single solution can meet our society’s future energy requirements and therefore the answer lies instead in a family of diverse energy technologies that share a common thread which is: they do not deplete our natural resources or destroy our environment,” Sibanda continued.

The investment offered by the Innovation Fund would depend on the needs of the project however, they would not exceed R15-million spread over a period of three years for each project.

The Innovation Fund would invest in the development of novel and inventive generation and storage technologies. These technologies should improve solar energy capturing and storage devises. With regard to rechargeable batteries these proposed technologies must improve one or a combination of the following: storage capacity, energy to weight ratio, battery life span, charging or discharging rates, internal resistance and safety.

“As a country, South Africa is well endowed with various resources which for far too long have been mined and sent to other countries for beneficiation and in some cases re-imported at higher costs. Through our call for proposals we are calling on South Africans to develop novel and inventive materials and related manufacturing technologies.” said Sibanda.

He added that the time was ripe for innovation in fabrication processes that would position South Africa to offer premium products at competitive prices. Machining, casting and powder techniques were key processes that would support the promotion of secondary products, he added.

These new materials and metals could be light metals, super alloys, ferrous alloys, hard metals and metal matrix composites. The proposed manufacturing technologies must be metal casting technologies, machining technologies and powder metallurgy.

These technologies should ultimately increase South Africa’s intellectual property portfolio and increase the country’s global competitiveness.

The proposed technology must be new and inventive, it must have a strong commercial case, be of benefit to South Africa, and must be backed up by a team with the technical know-how necessary for the success of the project.

The closing date for applications is September 18, and for more information, interested parties should visit the Innovation Fund website.