Celebrating UCT’s 25 years of impact through innovation
On Thursday, 14 August 2025, the UCT GSB Conference Centre came alive with the vibrant energy of innovation as researchers, inventors, spin-off company CEOs and patent professionals gathered for this year’s Inventors Brunch. Against the dramatic silhouette of Table Mountain, attendees engaged in a morning of celebration, inspiration, and forward-looking conversations, resonant of last year’s Inventors Breakfast ambiance, with its blend of insight and collegiality.
Opening Reflections: A Vision for Innovation
The event opened with warm welcoming remarks from Philip Hoekstra, Intellectual Property Manager at RC&I, whose enthusiasm set the tone for the day. “This event is our opportunity to celebrate UCT’s inventors, the remarkable individuals who have advanced our mission of innovation, through their contributions as inventors on patents,” he declared, inviting attendees to see each other as collaborators in a shared innovation ecosystem.
Tony Pick, an IoDSA Certified Director®, gave the keynote address. Tony had the attendees glued and wanting more. He shared insights into the commercialisation process and how inventions make an impact in the real world.
He shared that “entrepreneurs and innovators who stay open to unexpected opportunities and adapt flexibly often find surprising advantages. Emphasising persistence and readiness helps capitalise on these moments, leading to breakthroughs that planned strategies alone might not achieve.” His words echoed the thematic tone of past events, where alignment between research, commercialisation, and capacity-building was emphasised.
Inspiring outlook
Our Vice‑Chancellor, Prof Mosa Moshabela, shared an inspiring outlook: “Innovation is important to UCT. This is why we realised that to ensure UCT’s sustainability, we needed to add a fourth mission to our strategy, that of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he remarked, underscoring UCT’s strategic role in driving meaningful impact across the continent.
Acting Deputy Vice‑Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, Prof Jeff Murugan, offered a resonant reflective note, “As we celebrate 25 years of RC&I’s existence, we pause to reflect on the 25 years of transformative innovation, research excellence, and meaningful impact across diverse sectors.
At UCT, innovation is about creating meaningful impact and a just society. From advancing human and animal health to transforming agriculture and powering a sustainable energy transition, innovation is the catalyst behind every societal breakthrough. Whether it’s a new medical device from UCT’s MedTech Lab improving patient outcomes, a biotechnological solution from MariHealth Solutions supporting global food security, or clean energy technologies from the Catalysis Institute paving the way to a net-zero future, our focus remains clear: progress with purpose.
In closing, Prof Murugan, urged the inventors, researchers and the entire UCT innovation ecosystem to “harness and build on our Innovation & Entrepreneurship ecosystem and capabilities as we make the next 25 years even more impactful. We are not just imagining Africa’s future, we are inventing it, here at UCT.”
Innovation Key Moments
Between 2004 and 2024, 40 spin-off companies have emanated from UCT research, creating in excess of 440 jobs. The university holds equity estimated at upwards of R250 million. UCT spin-offs have received local recognition, including awards from the Cape Higher Education Consortium / Cape Chamber of Commerce, highlighting their contributions to the Western Cape’s economic expansion.
One of the early highlights was the presentation of recent innovation milestones by Dr Andrew Bailey, Director of RC&I.
“In 2024, we broke a few records of our own. Six new spin-off companies were recognised, we reached R4b in research contracts value, an increase from R1b in 2023,” he said. In his presentation, Dr Bailey also emphasised the importance of having senior management support. Referencing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Dr Bailey likened a Technology Transfer Office’s (TTO) journey to one’s journey to self-actualisation. IP foundation, management support, seed funding and commercialisation as key to reaching the highest level of actualisation, which is where you can access VC funding suitable for commercialisation of opportunities from universities.
The brunch also provided an opportunity to launch the latest edition of Innovation at UCT, showcasing cross-disciplinary breakthroughs ranging from sustainable agriculture to health tech. The publication’s release, complete with visual storytelling and innovation narratives, mirrored last year’s format, which emphasised African innovation driven by diverse voices.
Awarding Excellence
As the event progressed, the mood shifted to celebration. Inventors, particularly new contributors, received the iconic RC&I inventor mugs, NIPMO certificates and i2! certificates, in recognition of their achievements. A new inventor receives an Inventor Mug acknowledging that a priority patent application was filed in the previous year for their invention. These mugs have become a symbol of success and offer inventors bragging rights, especially in the departmental tearoom.
Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet and uninterrupted views of Cape Town’s iconic skyline from the rooftop venue.
In closing, the 2025 Inventors Brunch presented UCT the opportunity to pause to reflect, celebrate its innovation ecosystem and map a way forward for the next 25 years. With strong leadership voices from Prof Moshabela, Prof Murugan, and Dr Bailey, the event reaffirmed UCT’s commitment to cultivating a resilient culture of invention, rooted in purpose, collaboration, and the promise of Africa’s future.