Three outstanding members of the Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) community were honoured at the prestigious Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) Innovation Awards, held at Cape Town City Hall on Tuesday, 10 June 2025.
Anita Nel, SU's Chief Director of Innovation and Commercialisation, Mike-Alec Kearney, CEO of SU spinout company CubeSpace, and Prof Johann Kirsten, Director of the Bureau for Economic Research, were recognised as leading innovators in the academia category.
Celebrating excellence
Nel received the award for her exceptional leadership in managing the 万博体育官网's vast innovation ecosystem. She oversees a portfolio of 35 spinout companies, hundreds of patents, SU's Technology Transfer Office, the SU LaunchLab business incubator and the Institution commercialisation office, SUNCOM. Under her guidance, the 万博体育官网 has successfully commercialised numerous technologies, building a successful platform that fosters entrepreneurship, innovation, and real-world impact.
Kearney and his team of CubeSpace, which specialises in building advanced control systems for satellites, were celebrated as the most successful spinout company among the four Western Cape universities. The company currently serves more than 250 customers across 30 countries worldwide.
Prof Kirsten was recognised for leading the Karoo Lamb Consortium, a 20-year initiative that culminated in the official protected status of Karoo Lamb as South Africa's first Geographical Indication. The Consortium operates as a non-profit company and showcases the intersection of innovation, tradition, and regional identity in South African agriculture.
The CCCI and CHEC awards recognised innovators across various sectors of society – academia, business, and public office. They honoured men and women who continue to push boundaries in the pursuit of progress and highlight the importance of innovation in driving economic growth and reducing poverty. Innovation were celebrated across the categories of academia, industry, business and public office.
“Innovation is as much about attitude as it is about technical expertise," said John Lawson, CEO of the CCCI. “It's a mindset that focuses on solutions. The more we innovate, the more we actively shape the future we want to see."
Prof. Eugene Cloete, a board member of the Chamber and the Chief Executive Officer of CHEC, said these awards celebrate what becomes possible when academia, government, and the private sector come together. “Universities are the engines of research, knowledge and fresh thinking. The private sector brings speed, skill and courage to take risks, and the government provides a platform for policy, investment and support to turn innovation into impact. This year, we received a remarkable number of high-quality innovations across all categories, a key indication that innovation is alive and thriving in the Western Cape."
The event underscored the need for collaboration between academia, the private sector, and government to foster innovation and create a competitive, inclusive economy.
Attending the whole event, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town's mayor, Gordon Hill-Lewis, both highlighted the importance of continuous innovation, collaboration and recognition in driving regional development and job creation. They enhanced the importance of facilitating stronger connections and collaborations between universities, academia, businesses and government to enable and support innovation in the region.?
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