The Buffalo City-based IDZ held conference to showcase a sample of the more than 8000 international patents and commercial opportunities available for application in South Africa.

East London businesses were this week given insights into opportunities in cutting-edge technologies developed in Taiwan.

The East London Industrial Development Zone hosted an innovative and sustainable technologies business forum entitled “Today’s Technology for a Better Tomorrow”. The forum was organised by the Matla Innovation Company, alongside the ELIDZ.

“The focus of the forum was smart life, renewable energy and sustainability and profiled some of the newest products from Taiwan now available to local businesses for manufacture and distribution in South Africa and across the continent,” said organiser Chia-Chao Wu.

The guest speakers, who presented business opportunities in a variety of fields from 3D television to nano technologies, were from Taiwan’s renowned Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI.

ITRI’s Dr Tsung Tsan Su explained that the institute employed 5774 research and development staff, of which 1101 held PhDs. To date, they had registered 9500 patents. “As of June this year, 247 projects have been completed, 151 new companies have been formed – with a total capital investment of R11.6billion,” she said.

The aim of the delegation’s visit was to present a sample of the more than 8000 international patents and commercial opportunities available for application in South Africa.

The exhibition took place at the ELIDZ’s conference centre on Wednesday.

Wu, Matla’s chief investment officer, said: “Over the past 30 years ITRI has been credited with setting up some of the world’s largest technology-related industries within Taiwan, so we are really pleased to be able to share their latest technologies with local markets. We anticipate that this forum will be the first step in creating exciting new sustainability industries in South Africa.” Wu said Matla was already utilising some of the technology in companies that were housed within the ELIDZ.

“We are currently involved in two projects, the first being a R40million investment with Taiwanese-owned Ming Yang Solar Heating Equipment and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation in a 7500m² solar water heating equipment manufacturing facility.”

The second investment, which Wu said should begin in November, is with Chinese-owned Gold Eastern Holdings and the Industrial Development Corporation in a diamond processing plant.

Wu said they were also considering establishing an assembly plant within the ELIDZ to assemble the EDUbook laptop, and had begun negotiations on this with the ELIDZ.

Nigel Jones, from the Eastern Cape Department of Education, said he was very impressed with and interested in the EDUbook, a mini laptop for school kids.

Border-Kei Chamber of Business managing director Les Holbrook said it was a positive sign that talks of this nature were being held in the Eastern Cape. “We can clearly learn from the institute