TECHNOLOGY STATION PROGRAMME
The Technology Stations Programme (TSP) was established to enable Universities of Technology (UoT) to provide technology development services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Technology Stations (TSs) provide innovative Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) solutions for complex engineering challenges within the relevant industrial sectors aimed at supporting government's socio-economic priorities.
There are 18 Technology Stations (TS) based at 11 Higher Education Institutions in South Africa, managed by the Technology Stations Programme (TSP) Unit based in Pretoria at the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) office.Established in 2002, eNtsa (initially the Automotive Component Technology Station – ACTS) was primarily focused on supporting the automotive components manufacturing industry in the Nelson Mandela Bay area through the Technology Station Programme (TSP) an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) through the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).
As the expertise of the group expanded, the project scope broadened and became more reflective of the wider engineering and manufacturing sector. eNtsa maintains strong links to the Manufacturing, Automotive, power generation and petro-chemical industries.
Today, eNtsa is recognised as a prominent research, engineering innovation and technology support unit for the advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors in South Africa.
The goal of the Technology Stations Programme is to contribute towards improving the competitiveness of industry through the application of specialised knowledge and technology, facilitating the interaction between industry and academia, in order to enable innovation.
About the eNtsa Supplier development Initiative
The main focus of the Supplier Development Initiative within eNtsa, is to support and stimulate local engineering innovation in order to improve the competitiveness of local manufacturers which will enable industry to explore new markets, improve localisation, develop industry transformation, and create growth in the sector.
eNtsa was founded to support the automotive component manufacturing sector and maintains a strong focus on supporting this key industry sector and while also expanding to support various sectors within industry. With the support of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), eNtsa is able to make much needed engineering skills, testing, technology support and training more accessible to SMMEs operating in the local manufacturing sector.
At eNtsa we believe that developing local manufacturing capacity and growing the manufacturing economy in South Africa holds the key to sustainable job creation and improved quality of life
SMME Support
eNtsa provides high-end services to qualifying SMMEs at subsidised rates, assisting in the competitiveness of local industry through the services below. Subsidies made available through the Technology Station Programme, an initiative of the DSI.
Level of Industry Assistance
eNtsa assists over 125 SMMEs per annum, as well as, many of the major Automotive OEMS and tier 1 component suppliers in in the local manufacturing industry.
eNtsa completes in excess of 500 industry projects per annum in support of the local economy, providing much needed engineering skills and capabilities at all levels of the supply chain in South Africa’s manufacturing industry.
eNtsa provides training and knowledge transfer to hundreds of industry members per annum, as engineering professional development, technology skills and thought leadership over a variety of traditional, online and blended learning approaches.
Alignment of National Initiatives
DSI White Paper
The Department of Science and Innovation’s White paper, published in 2018, is a key strategic reference for the activities within the eNtsa supplier development initiative. Three main focus areas from the white paper form basis for this alignment:
- Innovation
- Support SMEs
- Business R&D
- Global Value Chains
- 4IR
- Partnerships/Networks
- National Science Network
- Industrial Organisations
- International Links
- Human Capabilities
- Industry training
- Gap Analysis
- Experiential learning
- Support for education
South African Automotive Masterplan 2035 (SAAM 2035)
The automotive sector in South Africa continues to drive industrial development, contributing 7.5% to the GDP. As the various industries in South Africa begin drafting and adopting sectoral master plans, the automotive sector leads the was the South African Automotive Masterplan 2035 (SAAM 2035). This master plan focuses on achieving a set of objectives by 2035, including 1% of global vehicle production, 60% local content, 100% employment growth and industry transformation.
The plan outlines 6 ‘pillars’ which denote the key areas where activities are requires to achieve the set targets. The SAAM 2035 vision diagram can be seen below. These pillars of focus influence the entire sector ecosystem, providing a common framework for OEMs, Tier 1 manufacturers, SMEs and supporting entities to adopt and work towards.
- Alignment to South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM 2035)
- Pillar 3: Localisation
- Pillar 5: Industry Transformation
- Pillar 6: Technology and Skills development
