Pretoria – Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) CEO Barlow Manilal says the aviation and aerospace sector must unlock opportunities that have socio-economic benefits for the country.
“We need to ensure that we can unlock opportunities so that it changes the trajectory of this country and ensure that we pave the economic pathway going forward,” Manilal said.
Speaking on Wednesday at the AVI Awards ceremony held at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, Manilal said more must be done to address the levels of poverty and unemployment in the country.
“I believe that everything we do must create a better society for us,” Manilal said.
He said going forward, his agency would look at how it could offer opportunities for people in rural areas.
“Going forward as TIA, we will look at revising most of our programmes, making sure that they are more impactful and that they give us the rewards we are looking for.
“We need to give the youth in this country hope. We need to give the youth in this country courage to dream,” Manilal said.
TIA was established in terms of the TIA Act, 2008 (Act No. 26 of 2008), with the objective of stimulating and intensifying technological innovation to improve economic growth and the quality of life of all South Africans by developing and exploiting technological innovations.
The AVI Awards were hosted by an agency of the Department of Transport, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) in partnership with TIA, an entity of Department of Science and Technology.
The overall winner of the awards, Mark van Wyk, has a company that is developing a hydrogen fuel cell powered unmanned aircraft, which runs on green energy and uses hydrogen as a fuel.
“The craft is an environmental survey aircraft, so the intention of the aircraft is to do long range surveys for environmental monitoring so that our scientists and researchers can make better decisions as to how to better manage the environment and do land use planning for the future,” Van Wyk said.
He said the aircraft has the potential to bring down the long running cost of aviation. He hopes that in future, it will make it possible for aviation prices to go down as well as for previously disadvantaged communities to have an opportunity to become pilots or fly for personal reasons.
“I really didn’t expect to win the award. I am thrilled, I am honoured. ATNS has always been a true evangelist for aviation and a real impressionist on this country.
“Their services to the community are unique and impeccable. To be given an award by ATNS is the highest honour that I could get,” Van Wyk said.
He said TIA has been supportive of his project as he has been working with TIA for the past nine years.
The AVI Awards 2015 are a platform to showcase and celebrate the sharpest minds and the most brilliant innovations in the country.
The Department of Transport said the awards celebrate creativity and scientific thinking, which remains a critical ingredient to leapfrog Africa into first-world status.
Finalists for the awards included journalists, academics and engineers. – SAnews.gov.za
