Innovation on display at BIO Africa Convention
South Africa is home to a thriving biotech environment that will continue to grow, speakers agreed on the first day of the second annual BIO Africa Convention, where young researchers and entrepreneurs showcased a variety of market-ready biotech products and processes.
The international conference, which again drew large audience, got under way at Durban's International Convention Centre on Monday. The event is being hosted by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in partnership with its entity the Technology Innovation Agency, AfricaBio, and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Important biotech stakeholders including researchers, innovators, inventors, investors and policy makers from around the world participated in plenaries and sessions covering topics ranging from food security to animal diseases and environmental and health challenges.
This year's event is taking place under the theme, "Africa: Transcending consumerism, leading innovation".
The Director-General of the DSI, Dr Phil Mjwara, said in his opening remarks that South Africa is one of the most sophisticated, diverse and promising emerging markets globally, with huge bioprospecting potential within the animal, plant, fungal and microorganic phyla.
According to Mjwara, the BIO Africa Convention is a much-needed platform for the African biotech community to interact internally with stakeholders from government, industry and academia, as well as with the international community, which is on the lookout for local investment opportunities.
Dr Nhlanhla Msomi, President of AfricaBio, said that with delegates coming from all of the world, BIO Africa presented an ideal opportunity for forging strategic partnerships.
The quickest way to achieve progress, Msomi said, was through a combination of international partnerships, localised innovations and responsible knowledge flowing through technology transfer modalities. These modalities included training opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and partnerships with multilateral organisations such as the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Msomi said that this year's theme reflected the need to embed innovation throughout the bioeconomy ecosystem of the continent, promoting local innovations based on Africa's vast knowledge base, natural resources and biodiversity.
At the heart of the BIO Africa Convention is an engaging exhibition showcasing an array of biotech products and processes addressing a variety of health and food security issues, such as medical devices aimed at addressing challenges around traditional circumcision practices. Young biotech entrepreneurs also had an opportunity to pitch their innovations to investors during a session titled "Pitch Perfect".
This year's Convention was also preceded by pre-event workshops, including a workshop on the regulatory environment for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in South Africa, and a workshop aimed at helping young researchers to communicate their work in simple and creative ways.
The BIO Africa Convention comes to an end on Wednesday.
