Innovation takes centre stage as NRF-SAAO honours its innovators

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF-SARAO) Innovation Management office has celebrated more than 20 innovators from the South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF-SAAO) at the inaugural NRF-SAAO Innovation Awards, recognising the technology and clever ideas that keep the observatory at the forefront of astronomical research.

Held at the NRF-SAAO Auditorium in Cape Town on 23 September 2026, the event brought together award recipients and guests, who were welcomed by Matlou Mabokane, NRF-SARAO Head: Innovation Management. Mabokane described it as an honour to gather and celebrate “the brilliant minds, groundbreaking ideas, and relentless spirit of curiosity that drive technology innovation forward.”

The Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer: National Research Infrastructure Platforms (NRIP), Pontsho Maruping, and Dr Ros Skelton, Managing Director of NRF-SAAO, were also in attendance.

A legacy of exploring and innovating

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Skelton reflected on the observatory’s long history. “NRF-SAAO and the observatory goes back 200 years. It has always been a place where we could explore the universe and innovate. And these are very, very important things, and I always feel privileged that exploring the universe for the benefit of society is our mission. We’ve never just been passive observers of the universe, but we’re actually active participants in decoding it.”

Looking ahead, she said: “As we look to the future, our mission remains clear. We’re going to continue to build the capabilities and the tools, write the code, and foster the talent that pushes the boundaries of innovation and human knowledge.”

The award categories

Awards were presented across four categories, each recognising a project team and its leader.

Integral Field Unit (IFU) for spectroscopy and wide-field imaging

Jonathan Love, Antoine Mahoro, Nicolas Erasmus and Sayasachi Chattopadhyay received awards, while Hitech Gajjar was honoured as Project Leader.

3D scanner and precision machining techniques for fibre technologies

Martin Visser, Wade Appolis, Simnikiwe Goyi, Rianelda Louw and Malcolm Hendricks were recognised, with Craig Sass honoured as Project Leader.

Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS) large format detector for astronomical instrumentation

Jonathan Love, Bryne Chipembe, Vuyisa Mini, Chrey Sookha, Anthony Koeslag, Shamiel Adams, Sunnyboy Kabini and Devakshan Naicker received awards. Project Leader Kathryn Rosie joined them on stage.

Intelligent Observatory

Carel van Gend, Paul Rabe and Nicolas Erasmus were honoured, with Steve Potter recognised as Project Leader.

The programme concluded with project members delivering short presentations on their work, giving guests a closer look at the innovation taking place at NRF-SAAO.