Rethinking Doctoral Training, IP and Institutional Culture To Transform South Africa's Innovation Ecosystem

South Africa’s ability to harness research for sustainable socio-economic development depends heavily on transforming its innovation ecosystem. Speaking at the “Unlocking Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Presidential PhD Programme” session during the Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Africa Regional Conference 2026, experts emphasised the need to embed innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation into doctoral training while strengthening institutional and policy support for researchers.

Experts from academia, government, and the innovation sector unpacked how doctoral education can better equip researchers to translate scientific discoveries into market-ready innovations that contribute directly to sustainable socio-economic development.

The session was facilitated by Ms Refilwe Mashigo, Senior Specialist at the NRF, and featured an esteemed panel of experts:

• Dr Munkombwe Muchindu, Senior Commercialisation Specialist at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)
• Dr Nicole Arbour, Executive Director of the Belmont Forum;
• Ms Malese B Ndhlovu, Head of Space Innovations at the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA); and
• Dr Keabetswe Ncube, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Integrating Commercialisation into Doctoral Support

A central theme throughout the discussion was the need to institutionalise innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation within doctoral training, rather than treating these as optional or supplementary activities. Panellists noted that PhD graduates must be equipped not only as researchers but also as innovators capable of developing solutions that address pressing societal challenges and stimulate economic growth.

Achieving this transformation also requires changing the mindset of academic supervisors. Supervisors should be capacitated to mentor doctoral candidates effectively in innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation. Building these capabilities within universities is essential if institutions are to consistently produce graduates who can successfully navigate both academic and innovation ecosystems.

Rethinking Institutional Intellectual Property Frameworks

The session also sparked critical conversations around intellectual property (IP) ownership within universities. Participants observed that, in practice, IP generated through publicly funded research is often perceived to benefit the institution more than the student researchers responsible for the innovation—a situation that may discourage some students from pursuing innovation within the academic environment.

In contrast, “research projects in partnership with industry frequently provide clearer pathways for commercialisation and opportunities for student innovators to engage more directly in the innovation process while solving real-world problems” – Dr Muchindu stated.

The discussion underscored the need to revisit existing IP frameworks to ensure they better support student innovators while protecting institutional interests. Ms Ndhlovu advised doctoral researchers to adopt a strategic approach to publishing by carefully considering which aspects of their research should be placed in the public domain and which should first be protected through appropriate IP mechanisms. She emphasised that protecting IP should not come at the expense of scholarly output, encouraging researchers to continue generating new knowledge for publication while balancing opportunities for commercialisation.

Embracing Systems-Thinking and People-Centred Solutions

Dr Arbour emphasised that transforming the innovation ecosystem requires a systems-thinking approach that recognises innovation as a shared responsibility. This means strengthening the connections between universities, government, industry, funding agencies, communities, and policymakers to create an environment where research can move seamlessly from idea generation to commercialisation, ultimately delivering deep societal and economic impact.

Dr Arbour also highlighted the importance of adopting a people-centred approach to innovation, where communities are actively involved in the conceptualisation and development of solutions. By ensuring that innovations respond directly to real societal needs, researchers are more likely to develop products and services that are readily adopted by communities, achieve market relevance, and deliver meaningful impact.

Reshaping the PhD Curriculum for Economic Impact

Rather than preparing PhD graduates exclusively for academic careers, institutions should equip them to establish enterprises, commercialise technologies, and contribute directly to national economic development. Dr Ncube emphasised that entrepreneurship should be embedded throughout PhD training from the first year.

Integrating design thinking, innovation methodologies, and entrepreneurial education into the doctoral curriculum enables candidates to achieve the following strategic goals:

• Identify real-world challenges: Shift focus from purely academic outputs to user-centred solutions with explicit societal and commercial impact.
• Prioritise research translation: Equip graduates with the skills to transform raw knowledge generation into sustainable businesses, protected intellectual property, and market-ready products.
• Act as job creators: Cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset early in the doctoral journey so that PhD graduates become employment creators rather than job seekers, actively targeting South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate.
• Build scalable enterprises: Establish sustainable companies that offer employment opportunities to local communities while responding to national development priorities.

The session concluded with a call for greater policy alignment, stronger funding instruments, and closer institutional collaboration to strengthen South Africa’s National System of Innovation. Overall, unlocking the full potential of the Presidential PhD Programme will require coordinated efforts across government, academia, industry, and science councils to create an enabling environment where research excellence is matched by innovation impact.