Cortex Ventures at Manufacturing Indaba Western Cape 2019
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 4 November 2019
Cortex Ventures CEO, Dr Nick Bradshaw, to Speak at Manufacturing Indaba Western Cape 2019.
Cortex Ventures CEO, Dr Nick Bradshaw will be attending and speaking at the Manufacturing Indaba Western Cape 2019 taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on the 6th of November 2019. Dr Nick Bradshaw will be representing Cortex Ventures, Africa’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Venture Capital company, as a panellist. He will discuss “Approaching Manufacturing Innovation, Efficiency, Productivity & Creativity to Creating Sustainable Companies” alongside fellow panellists, Jake Morris (B&M Analysts), Takalani Ramuthaga (The DTI), Simon Mantell (Mantelli’s Biscuits), Benedicta Durcan (Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone), as well as Tjaart Minnaar (Free To Grow).
The annual Manufacturing Indaba Western Cape 2019 will bring together provincial manufacturers and businesses to explore growth opportunities, find out about the latest manufacturing incentives and trends, as well as provide a platform for networking and collaboration. The conference programme will include plenary sessions as well as debate sessions, which will unpack and encourage active participation at the event. The exhibition space will provide an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their expertise, network with industry peers and meet business suppliers.
A sustainable growth trajectory for the province’s manufacturers is being established through a focused collaborative effort by both government and business to strongly support the province’s manufacturing sectors and to marshal domestic resources for increasing investment in the real economy. To this end, the conference will see insights from, as well as the support and involvement of the Department of Economic Development, Department of Environmental Affairs & Development Planning, Department of Public Works, City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Dr Nick Bradshaw said, “Manufacturing plays a prominent role in Africa’s economic development – made evident by how industrial growth positively affects the overall GDP and productivity of the nation. Within the Western Cape, manufacturing is the 2nd largest sector and contributes approximately 15% to the South African manufacturing sector’s output. Continuous investment and development within the Western Cape’s manufacturing sector have boosted and will continue to boost value added to the economy and will aid further activity, such as job creation and skills development, along value chain”.
“Further, the introduction of innovative technologies, made available by the 4th Industrial Revolution, and methodologies in the manufacturing realm, will further increase productivity levels. This event will aid attendees in understanding how the 4th Industrial Revolution is relevant and applicable to each company, as well as how it can be leveraged to help innovate and improve the bottom line. We need to understand how technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, can aid manufacturers and how, when adopting it as an integral part of their processes, AI can give them a competitive edge”, Dr Nick Bradshaw added.
Dr Nick Bradshaw concluded, “ The panel discussion ‘Approaching Manufacturing Innovation, Efficiency, Productivity & Creativity to Creating Sustainable Companies’ will focus specifically on continuous improvement and innovation within the manufacturing sector, as well as lean and efficient manufacturing. I look forward to contributing to this discussion and exploring how 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, can add value to the sector”.
Additional themes to be explored at the event, will include (1) Incentives, investment and financing solutions available to help manufacturers, (2) How Western Cape manufacturers can access new geographic markets and export into africa, as well as (3) General economic trends and innovations that can impact manufacturers and create new opportunities.
