French-South African Tech Transfer Bridge 2020 for South African Research Teams

Application Deadline:30 October 2020.

The South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the French Embassy in South Africa in collaboration with their national knowledge transfer associations, invite research teams, industrial actors and technology transfer offices to submit proposals that will foster the development of technology transfer between France and South Africa.

Both South Africa and France are implementing proactive policies to increase the impact of their public research, in particular by strengthening the link between academia and the industrial sphere through the creation and enhancement of technology transfer structures.

The scientific excellence of South Africa and France creates great potential for the transfer of results from our public laboratories to the industrial sector, thus creating jobs opportunities and supporting economic growth.

At the same time, our countries have a long tradition of technology transfer and a real expertise around technology transfer offices. Exchanges of expertise are possible and this project wishes to promote them.

It is a year-round program: the call will be open from the beginning of July to the end of October 2020

Aim

Facilitating the link between research teams and industrial stakeholders is a priority pillar of the innovation strategy of the Department of Science and Innovation and the Embassy of France in South Africa.

Through the French South African Tech Transfer Bridge, a flexible and year-round program, the main objective is to support the development of strong partnerships (e.g. patent licensing, commercialization…) between French or South African public laboratories developing a high value- added solutions in collaboration with South African or French potential industrial partners.

The aim of this programme is to facilitate cooperation between research teams, technology transfer offices and industrial players in France and South Africa, in the final phases of contracting or testing the relevance of technologies for industrial use.

Example of a fundable case

• A research team from a South African University has been helped by its Technology Transfer Office to identify a French enterprise interested in their technology. They are currently negotiating a licensing agreement. In this particular case, the Tech Transfer Bridge Program will help by providing an incentive funding (travel, accommodation) to help transfer the technology: the industrial partner will be invited to South Africa to visit the UCT lab and to be trained to use the technology.

• Two technology transfer offices wish to (1) exchange their respective expertise in the field of license negotiation, (2) or would like to work on building up a portfolio of common patents to be exploited, or (3) wish to develop a common framework for the “valorisation” of the different common research projects of their university, this programme will be able to facilitate the organisation of an exchange of staff to make progress on these issues.

Requirements

• Research teams from a French or South African public university, research Institute; through their own technology transfer offices
• French or South African enterprises willing to acquire a new technology
• Technology transfer offices of France or South Africa that are interested in developing their expertise together

The French south African Tech Transfer Bridge Program provides for individual visits for a minimum of one week and a maximum of two weeks in the field of “technology transfer activities”, whatever the scientific field is.

The laureates will have their stay in France or in South Africa funded (travel and accommodation*).

• The maximum amount per project is EUR 2 500 or R 46 000.

^*Other costs will not be funded: subsistence costs, travel to countries other than South Africa and the International Partner, consultant’s fees, educational expenses (bursaries, fellowships and scholarships), insurance and medical care, equipment, project management fees, salaries, temporary staff fees; etc.

The deadline for applications is 15 November 2020, and the call is for activities from July 2020 until 30 October 2020.

The application form is available on the following websites:

French Embassy- https://za.ambafrance.org/

Innovation Bridge Portal- www.innovationbridge.info/ibportal/

NIPMO- https://nipmo.dst.gov.za

TIA- www.tia.org.za

SARIMA- www.sarima.co.za

• Download the application form from the French embassy website and the Innovation Bridge Portal.
  • Complete the application form.
• Save the application form as a pdf file.
  •  Submitting the form to [email protected]

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the French-South African Tech Transfer Bridge 2020