has been overwhelming. It is certainly encouraging to note the openness of these special organisations which unselfishly give of their time to assist well deserving young people. I look forward to watching the progress of these young people who, through the mentorship you will afford them, will be given an opportunity to make their mark on society.
Furthermore, in partnership with the Da Vinci Institute, we have developed a PhD programme that is focussed on inculcating a culture of commercialisation in a group of our managers. This business driven, action learning programme has enabled our senior managers to be exposed to the cutting edge of innovative technology in the real business world. Once again it was a group of TT100 companies who came to the fore and mentored these managers and gave them the opportunity to gain detailed insights into the challenges facing their organisations as they strive to drive their operations to be more competitive.
The need for more dialogue between my Department and you, the key role players in the technology space, is highlighted by the response we received from the Technology Top 100 questionnaire. Many of the respondents were completely unaware of some of the support functions which the Department can offer your organisations. My Department and Da Vinci are consulting on initiatives to provide formalised and regular engagements between government and industry. These will be designed to assist with increasing innovation and the rate of technology commercialisation. I am confident that these initiatives will not only strengthen the relationship between my Department and the TT100 ecosystem but that it will also have a positive impact on our NSI and the lives of all of our people.
One of our greatest challenges is the dearth of black- owned technology based companies. This is clear from the responses from the Technology Top 100
EDGE | November 2011 11
programme and from other programmes such as the First National Bank Entrepreneur programme. I am considering ways in which we can be more effective in stimulating the growth of such companies. It is not beyond our innovative capabilities to work together to engender a mind-set amongst young South Africans that will recognise the great prospects in the technology arena. We need to demystify this space and the partnership between my Department and the Technology Top 100 will, I am sure, contribute to the development of some positive outcomes.
This year has yielded another crop of outstanding South African companies. It is pleasing to note the number of new entrants and also very pleasing to note how many of the previous applicants have come back to have their operations adjudicated. I am encouraged by the response that we get from organisations that see this programme as an important learning experience.
Let me conclude by congratulating the TT100 team for constantly trying to improve the questionnaire in such a way that the metrics assist in enabling you to become more competitive.
I would like to thank you TT100 entrants for your support and to wish you continued success in your endeavours. We are proud of your achievements and wish to thank you for sharing your experiences. Have a wonderful evening.
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