to optimise what they’ve got. The reality is that the greatest technologies are in our heads.”
So, what’s gone wrong – why aren’t we managing our technologies more effectively? “Technology and management are separated as disciplines at tertiary level,” Marcus opines. “There’s much being done to help people think in terms of innovation, but they’re given little in the way of skills and knowledge about how to implement and commercialise their innovations. Yes, people need to build technologies,” she says, “but they must also ensure that those technologies are workable and scaleable from a commercial perspective. My fear is that creating and sustaining a business is so difficult that it may suffocate the spark that ignites innovation” – yet another argument in favour of strengthening the infrastructure available to entrepreneurs. As it is, many people are forced to choose: they either become managers or innovators, but they seldom perceive that the two disciplines can happily co-exist.
Fortunately, Marcus says that the day will come when the growing awareness of the need for this combination blossoms into a reality. Indeed, she says, in the past, most ICT companies were solely focused on innovating for its own sake. They’re now finding that these technologies cannot reach their full potential if they are not managed. “Companies are realising the need to understand their targets, and implement measurements so that it is clear whether technologies should be pursued or discarded.” Sometimes, Marcus says, this is as simple as re- skinning a product. “It’s nothing more than a case of getting rid of old ways of thinking and repositioning ourselves so that technologies can play a truly useful role in people’s lives.”
But it’s not just about making sure that products are hits rather than misses. Marcus believes that there is an element of social responsibility in the mismanagement of technology adding that if gadgets can be used in such a way to better people’s lives, then companies have a responsibility to do so. “There’s a sad example of a South African lawyer who developed a technology to improve the comfort of diabetic patients when debriding wounds, minimising both pain and the cost of treatment. However, he could not find a South African company to work with him, so he was forced to turn to a Ghanaian funder. Egos sometimes get in the way of technology – and this is yet another challenge we have to overcome in order to ensure that the public derives the ultimate benefit from technology.”
20 EDGE | November 2011
Deirdre Marcus, Director, TT100
And egos do, indeed, have an impact when it comes to the advancement of women in science and technology. Back to the legacy of mining in terms of South African technology – it’s true that physicality has proved something of a barrier when it comes to women entering the industry, but at the same time, the beneficiation industry is growing at a steady pace, and there’s enormous room for technology to grow here. Marcus is greatly encouraged by this development, because it is tragic to see minerals and metals leaving South Africa after being mined, when we could experience real benefits if beneficiation was conducted here.
Marcus acknowledges that South African industries are still dominated by a paternalistic attitude, as well as an outlook that is authoritative and dictatorial. But then again individuals have the power to overturn this by asserting themselves.
“Once again, this relates to the power of people. Allow people to express their talents, ensure that your technology can be optimally leveraged, and you’re on the right path to developing a system that forms a virtuous circle.”
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