It is the first of its kind in South Africa. It is an innovative experiment to facilitate the design and product
development process for craft entrepreneurs and designers in the Western Cape.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Centre will provide a well-resourced space for designers and crafters to 'play'
and experiment and, along this creative path, develop new marketable products.
The emphasis on play is paramount. The linkage of the Centre's activities to enterprises and CCDI market
access support programmes will ensure that when WOW products emerge, the designer or entrepreneur will get access to the
support they need to take the product to market - and make money and create jobs in the process.
HOW DID IT START?
The Centre for Innovation was conceived during the development of a Craft Sector Advanced Manufacturing
Technology Strategy (PAMTS) facilitated by the CSIR and led by Erica Elk, Executive Director of the CCDI.
The idea is based on the premise that our global competitiveness as a province and as a nation lies in our ability to design and innovate.
But the process of innovation requires research and resources (time, technology, information and materials). This is very expensive for
individual businesses (unless they're major multi-nationals like Nike or Nokia). In the craft sector there is little extra time and resources
for play and experimentation.
PARTNERS
The provincial government of the Western Cape, through the MEC for Economic Development, Tasneem Essop, agreed with the
strategy and is funding the Centre for Innovation to the tune of R1m. The CSIR/AMTS/DST contributed to the establishment of a pilot
FabLab for the craft & design sector to form part of this Centre for Innovation. And the Centre also takes the partnership with the
Cape Peninsula University of Technology to a new level with increased and closer collaboration between the CCDI, crafters, designers,
design students and lecturers of the faculties of design, information technology and engineering.
On 12 December 2005 the various role players came together to discuss the mission, vision and common
principles and set a deadline of 31 May 2006 for the establishment of the FabLab. Six months later, on
12 June 2006, the Centre for Innovation, incorporating the AMTS FabLab, was open for business.
