LIVESTREAMS

DAY 1

Plenary:

CSIR Alumni Launch:

Surveying urban expansion and land occupation using unmanned aircraft:

DAY 2

Plenary:

Day 2 CSIR Excellence Awards:

Contact Us:

Email: conference@csir.co.za

General Enquiries: +27 12 841 2911

CSIR Website: www.csir.co.za

View our Terms & Conditions

Contact Us:

Email: conference@csir.co.za

General Enquiries: +27 12 841 2911

CSIR Website: www.csir.co.za

View our Terms & Conditions

Dr Vuyisile Phehane

Panellist

Dr Vuyisile Phehane completed his doctoral studies in chemical pathologoy at the University of Cape Town. He studied the inhibition of malarial purine salvage enzymes and developed skills in molecular biology, biochemistry, enzymology, genomics, proteomics, chemical synthesis and analysis, rational drug design, protein purification, as well as protein structure-function relationships.

His career started in 2002 at SA Bioproducts in Durban, South Africa,, where he was responsible for the bioprocess development of amino acid production technologies using microbial fermentation platforms at pilot- and toll-scale production levels. He later joined the CSIR as a process scientist, with a key outcome of his work being a process patent for the isolation of compounds from Aloe ferox, which find applications, amongst others, in cosmetic formulations, specifically skin lightening.

He joined the Innovation Fund as a Programme Manager and then moved into the role of a Commercialisation Manager, developing his skills in evaluation (pre-funding), funds disbursement and management, post-funding management and the commercialisation of technology in global territories. This was pursued further at BioPAD (an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, as an Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing Portfolio Manager, where he participated in the establishment of new technology platforms, in addition to his other responsibilities. Phehane then spent seven years as the Senior Manager: Commercialisation at the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, where he commercialised intellectual property (primarily plant breeders’ rights) developed by scientists, and optimised revenue income in the form of royalties from global territories through the implementation of intellectual management policies.

He has served on the boards of a number of startup companies and has expertise in the negotiation and conclusion of technology licensing deals, as well as the creation of viable spinouts based on solid research and development outcomes. He has managed budgets in excess of R500 million in his working career.

Phehane is an Eisenhower Fellow and has identified best practices in technology incubator and accelerator programmes whilst on fellowship in the United States of America (Eisenhower Multination Programme).

He was a member of the panel of the Innovation Investment Advisory Committee, an initiative funded by the US Agency for International Development and Sweden (through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), which managed the Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development call. He was selected as an independent evaluator for Eurostars, which is a joint initiative between EUREKA and the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020).

He is the founder of ITB Holdings, a private company set-up for the commercialisation of intellectual property, and the provision of advisory services in small and medium enterprise development, new venture creation, equity transactions, as well as economic development using intellectual property.

Phehane was the Director: Technology Transfer Office at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), responsible for the management of intellectual property emanating from research and development initiatives, and was instrumental in the establishment of UJInvnt, the intellectual property commercialisation company of UJ. As Director, he represented UJ as a member of the Independent Advisory Board of Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

He has been invited to evaluate and review applications sourced through the Challenge and Prize portfolios of the United States Agency for International Development Center for Development Innovation.

Phehane is currently the Executive: Bio-Economy, at the Technology Innovation Agency, responsible for driving the Bio-Economy strategy of South Africa, and serves on the board of the Biovac Institute, a vaccines and biologicals manufacturing company in South Africa.

Stavros Nicolaou

Stavros Nicolaou is a member of the Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited Group Executive Committee and the Group Senior Executive responsible for strategic trade development. Previously, he was the CEO of Aspen’s Export Business. Aspen is Africa’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer and now a world leader in anaesthetics and injectable anti-coagulants. Aspen is one of South Africa’s most globalised multinational companies with a presence in over 50 geographies globally and 26 manufacturing facilities across six continents. Nicolaou was instrumental in introducing the first generic antiretrovirals (ARVs) on the African continent developed by Aspen, which have gone on to save hundreds of thousands of lives in South Africa and on the African continent.

Nicolaou is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) and has over 31 years’ experience in the South African and international pharmaceutical industry, 27 years of which have been with the Aspen Group or its subsidiaries. He is a previous winner of the SA Institute of Marketing Management Health Care Marketer of the Year Award and a previous recipient of the Monty Rubenstein Award for proficiency in pharmaceutics from the Wits University Pharmacy Health Sciences Faculty. He was awarded the Order of the Lion of St Mark by the Greek Orthodox Pope Theodoros II and recently received the title of “High Commander of the Order of the Apostle & Evangelist Mark” of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. He has been inducted as a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA), one of the highest honours bestowed by the PSSA, and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine by Wits University.

Nicolaou is particularly passionate about diversity, transformation, championing localisation and building bridges between the private and public sectors to improve access to treatment for patients in emerging markets and healthcare outcomes in these markets. He has been involved in several social responsibility and charitable causes aimed at reducing poverty and inequality and assisting economic growth and development in South Africa. He has been a speaker at numerous conferences, including the Economist Roundtable and the World Economic Forum and has delivered a lecture on ARV developments at the Raigon Institute, a joint venture between Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

He has previously served and continues to serve on numerous industry and associated structures, some of which include:

The Advisory Council on National Orders, to which he was appointed by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa;
The Forum to Promote Transparency and Multistakeholder Engagement Regarding Medicine Availability, an advisory body assisting in finding solutions towards improving access to and availability of medicine through enhanced transparency, equity, efficiency, responsiveness and accountability in the supply chain, to which he was appointed by the Minister of Health;
Business for South Africa (B4SA) Steering Committee (as a member) and B4SA Health Workgroup (as Chairperson);
National Covid-19 Vaccine Co-ordinating Committee and the Covid-19 Vaccine Joint Oversight Steering Committee;
Public Health Enhancement Fund (as Chairman) – a collaboration between the private health sector and the Ministry of Health;
Wits University Foundation Board of Governors;

The Board of Brand South Africa, to which he was re-appointed for a third term by President Cyril Ramaphosa;
The Interim Board of Cricket South Africa (as Chairman), to which he was appointed by the Minister of Arts, Sports and Culture;
The Trade and Industry Minister’s Export Panel on devising an export strategy for South Africa;
The Board of SA Express Airways (as Chairman between 2005 and 2009), as appointed by the Minister of Public Enterprise;
The Board of Transnet Ltd., the state-owned integrated logistics company (as Chairman from 2004 to 2010), appointed by the Minister of Public Enterprises;
The Trade and Investment Committee of the Board of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) (as Chairman) and Director of the GGDA, as appointed by the MEC for Economic Development for two consecutive terms;
The BRICS Business Council, as appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition for a third term;
The Special Economic Zones Advisory Board, as appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition;
The South Africa-Saudi Arabia Business Council, as appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (as Chairman);
The Marketing Committee and Board of the Board of Proudly South Africa, as appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and NEDLAC (as Chairman);
The Executive of the Manufacturing Circle (as a member);
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) (as a Non-executive Director), the apex business organisation of South Africa and BUSA Health Forum (as Chairman);
The South African Pharmaceutical Producers Association (as Chairman) and the Pharmaceutical Task Group, overall Pharmaceutical Industry Umbrella Organisation, (as Chairman);
World Bank/IFC Technical Advisory Board on the strengthening of African Health Systems;
The International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (as Vice-President);
Wits University, accredited to the Faculty of Health Science (as an Honorary Lecturer); and
The North-West University Business School Advisory Board (as Director).

LIVESTREAMS

DAY 1

Plenary:

CSIR Alumni Launch:

Surveying urban expansion and land occupation using unmanned aircraft:

DAY 2

Plenary:

Day 2 CSIR Excellence Awards:

Contact Us:

Contact Us:

Dr Njabulo Siyakatshana

Panellist

TanJa Hichert

Looking out for weak signals and 'Pockets of the future in the – How to do emerging issues analysis and why it matters

DR Jabu Mtsweni

Panellist

Dr Vincent Ojijo

Panellist

DR Duarte Goncalves

A systemic approach to critical infrastructure risk and security capabilities

Peter Bosscha

A bilevel positive airway pressure non-invasive ventilator

Aradhna Pandarum

Panellist

Anne-Marie Lubbe

Panellist

Ashley Patience

Aquaculture research, development and innovation: Crossing the divide to substantial delivery

DR Janine Scholefield

Panellist

DR Jerolen Naidoo

Panellist

DR Nyambeni Luruli

Panellist

DR Tracey Hurrell

Panellist

Prof. Moses Azong Cho

CSIR-developed precision agriculture information system to support emerging farmers

Carel de Jager

The Metaverse: South African perspectives

DR Darryl Naidoo

A novel, local laser system development with a commercial partner

DR Gyu Myoung Lee

DR Bernelle Verster

Metaverse: Setting the scene

DR Marie Smith

The aquaculture decision support tool of the Oceans and Coasts Monitoring Information System

PROF. Marianne Vanderschuren

Panellist

Sibongile Ntsoelengoe

Panellist

Marius Boshoff

Challenges in future plant health management - An integrated crop management perspective

Santosh Ramchuran

Technology development and localisation of bio-based products for agricultural and preventative health

Hartmut Brodner

A customised trackless mobile machinery collision prevention system digital twin

Prof. Greta Dreyer

The unmet need for cancer treatment in South Africa

John Fox

Panellist

Jenny-Lee Panayides

Panellist

Rachelle Botha

Panellist

DR CHOMBA CHUMA

Panellist

DR DEEPAK GOVINDA RAJ

Developing precision medicines: Drug combinations to overcome drug resistance

GERHARD GREEFF

Digital transformation and 4IR technologies and their contribution towards the re-industrialisation of SA’s manufacturing industries

DR JAYITA BANDYOPADHYAY

Keeping oxygen out and freshness in: Bag-in-box films

DR LERATO TSHABALALA

Laser-based engineering services for the repair and maintenance of high-value plant components

DR LIZWE MDAKANE

Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar for operational monitoring of Southern Africa oceans: Oils slick and vessel tracking

PROF. Grant D. Stentiford

The Blue Economy: Unlocking technologies for efficient and sustainable aquaculture production

MERRYL FORD