Techstel SRA hosted a networking event for its members at Protea Hotel during September. Rubbing shoulders (from left) are Carel Human (BexGroup head of trading), Alita Bothma (Techstel SRA general manager) Ernst Wolfaardt (TechstelSRA chairperson and Capitec project manager) and Leon Smit (BexGroup head of finance).
With the vision of creating a sustainable innovation hub in Stellenbosch, Techno Park is truly living up to its official mandate and fast becoming the business area of choice in the Cape Winelands.
The office park along the R44 is currently home to more than 200 businesses, with 350 properties occupying the 40 ha that is Techno Park. The park was established in 1985 and managed by a committee and Stellenbosch Municipality. However, it was declared a special rating area (SRA) in 2015 and the Techstel SRA was registered as an NPO.
Some of the companies located in the park are Capitec Bank, Garmin, Experian, Flightscope, Reutech Radar Systems, earning it the welcome reputation of one of the country’s leading technology areas.
The area’s history as a leading business location started in the late 1970s, after Professor Christo Viljoen, then vice-dean of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) engineering faculty, visited Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. Impressed by Hsinchu’s innovative approach, Viljoen shared the concept with local and national authorities along with his vision to establish a similar venture in Stellenbosch.
Apart from the local municipality and Viljoen, SU was also instrumental in the founding of the area.
“Supported by the then Industrial Development Corporation, Techno Park was established in 1985 and housed and incubator as well as an innovation lab,” Ernst Wolfaardt, chairperson of Techstel SRA recalled.
“Uptake of firms into the park was very slow at first, due to the strict criteria of acceptance, a poor community understanding of the concept and the benefit of a science park, as well as an economic slowdown, which forced the management to allow it to be market-orientated in the 1990s.”
Since then, Techno Park has grown into a prime business location for leading companies in technology, innovation and sustainability, and constantly attracts some of the top South African brands.
“The period from 2000 to 2010 was one of significant investment in the park, as many of the current properties were in development,” Wolfaardt added. “Most of the larger companies have been in the park for more than 20 years.”
Since the formation of the Techstel SRA, the NPO’s board and Stellenbosch Municipality has been responsible for the management, marketing and improvement of facilities in the area. “The directors of the Techstel SRA are elected from the SRA members or property owners in the park,” he explained.
“The official vision of the Techstel SRA is to enable and create a sustainable, vibrant and active innovative community. This vision was agreed upon over a series of workshops that included a variety of stakeholders.”
The vision includes social elements such as leadership and management and social innovation; technical elements like design and technological innovation; ecological elements such as resource flows and educations; and economic elements like regional economic benefits.
“The Techstel SRA’s ultimate goal has shifted towards improving the value of properties in the area, attracting high calibre tenants and establishing a community feeling,” Wolfaardt said.
“Since 2015, the SRA has sought to transform the area into a sustainable innovation hub, with an aim to house a vibrant sustainable innovation community ad cultural hub, which provides knowledge and expertise for sustainable futures locally, nationally and globally. Our goals as part of being the premier business estate in the winelands are to support the companies to continue with their innovative work in a conducive environment.”
To achieve this, transformation is the key ingredient on three levels: greening and sustainable development of the park; the mandate of the park as a sustainable innovation hub; and the Techno Park collaboration defined through a transparent and mutually beneficial agreement with SU, Cape Higher Education Consortium, Stellenbosch Municipality and provincial government.
According to Wolfaardt, the business park’s uniqueness lies in its central location and proximity to SU, the diverse leading technology companies that calls it home and the beautiful surrounds of the Cape Winelands.
“There is growing opportunity for organisations in the park to work together and share expertise in the interest of developing innovative services, products or technologies for future use,” Wolfaardt said when asked about future prospects for Techstel SRA.
“The current management team is set to ensure Techno Park is the premier commercial estate in the winelands.
Techstel SRA hosted a networking event for its members at Protea Hotel during September. Rubbing shoulders (from left) are Carel Human (BexGroup head of trading), Alita Bothma (Techstel SRA general manager) Ernst Wolfaardt (TechstelSRA chairperson and Capitec project manager) and Leon Smit (BexGroup head of finance).
Those attending had the chance to talk shop, network and get to know their “neighbours”.
Francois Smuts (Evesis and Techstel SRA director), Andrew Cardoza (Codebow), Jacques van der Vyver (Adept ICT) and Gideon le Grange (Adept ICT).
Henry Prins of Protea Hotel speaks to Muhammad Brinkhuis, sales manager of Eikestadnuus.
This duo from Protea Hotel and Stellenview Wines were ready to serve top-class wines to those in attendance.
Kobus Scholtz of Winelands Productions in conversation with another visitor.
-kBFC--1920x1080@Las%20Provincias.jpg)
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/G5UB55DDW5EPRK5H4VG6CKCYPA.jpg)
