Telkom and the National Research Foundation (NRF) have launched the Future Technologies (FutureTech) program, a new initiative that will co-fund technology research grants as well as postgraduate student and postdoctoral Fellow studies to drive innovation.
The program will benefit historically disadvantaged academic institutions
The FutureTech initiative will help local institutions conduct research and development on future breakthroughs, solutions, and technology. This would boost competitiveness in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and other relevant industries.
The partnership stresses inclusivity and seeks to lift historically disadvantaged institutions through collaboration, targeted funding, and a focus on transformation through diversity and inclusion. The program also helps to achieve economic and social goals by solving talent shortages, encouraging innovation and technological growth, and fostering social inclusion.
NRF CEO, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, applauded the initiative. “We are delighted to partner with Telkom on the Futuretech initiative. The NRF has a mandate to contribute to science and technology capacity building in South Africa. This partnership forms part of our drive to achieve this important mandate, and we appreciate the collaboration with industry, which also ensures that the capacity that we build is relevant,” he said.
Driving innovation
The Futuretech program is an outgrowth of Telkom’s Centers of Excellence (CoE) Program, which it has financed and directed at South African academic institutions for the past 26 years. Openserve, a subsidiary of Telkom, plays a crucial role in the CoE program and will continue to do so through FutureTech.
Althon Beukes, CEO of Openserve, expressed satisfaction with the relationship. “Through the Futuretech program, we are investing in the future of South Africa’s ICT sector and preparing our students to be skilled, competent professionals,” he stated.
“By investing in postgraduate training, internship opportunities, mentorship and collaboration sessions, and industry-relevant research projects, we look to build a pipeline of talented professionals with industry-relevant skills,” Beukes added.
The program’s pilot phase, lasting three years, will concentrate on skills, innovation, and technology development in high-priority areas like network and fiber optic solutions, multimodal sensing, the internet of things, virtualization, local artificial intelligence, and language and speech technologies.The post New FutureTech Program Empowers Postgraduate Studies in Tech first appeared on IT News Africa | Business Technology, Telecoms and Startup News.