HISTORY OF WHRC

 Established in 2004 – Prof Paul Jagals  Since 2008 – Dr TG Barnard  Originally known as the “Water and Health Research Unit”  Now known as the “Water and Health Research Centre”  Change in direction needed to answer demands from SA water sector

RESEARCH FOCUS: OLD VERSUS NEW

 Original research focus  Inter-disciplinary research approach to establish the HESET risk assessment toolkit for evaluating water related studies  HESET = Health, economical, social, environmental, technology  Adapted research focus  Inter-disciplinary research approach using current expertise available in Faculty of Health Science  Initial main focus on developing advanced technology for water, stool and food samples for the presence of bacterial pathogens

RESEARCH AIMS

 Research aims:  Detection of bacterial pathogens (qualitative and quantitative)  Public perceptions regarding water, water treatment or water technology  Commercialization of projects  Commercialization of projects topic of presentation:  Personal experiences with the design and commercialization process  My views and experiences – not necessarily the same for all

OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION

 Call for multi-disciplinary research to answer needs of country  Including sociologists or anthropologists  Next step include Industrial designer  University of Venda and University of Johannesburg project  Funded by Water Research Commission  Potters-for-Peace Ceramic Water Filter

OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION

OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION

 What did we learn?

 We need to link science with industrial design  Appointed Industrial designer in the Centre  Working with designer not always easy!

 Different backgrounds makes communication difficult

THE DESIGN PROCESS

PRODUCTS SO FAR

HOW DO WE PROJECT OUR DESIGN?

 Patenting or licencing?

 Do not patent whole design  Patent small parts of the design  Our approach is determined by each product  Do we want to produce this?

 Do we licence and “rent” our idea to industry?

HOW DO WE APPROACH OUR PRODUCTS?

 What we want and we can do not the same?

 Be realistic in what can be done  Need for prototyping  What type of method used to produce the product  Rotor moulding, injection moulding, rapid growing etc.

 Looking at cost vs. quality vs. output  What do the community want?

 Is it practical to produce and use?  Would they really want to use it?

 Would you use your product?

HOW DO WE FUND OUR PRODUCTS?

 Look at hidden design costs?

 Different moulds can influence your cost  Produce in SA or China?  Decide what you want to do then look for funds  Look at projected actual costs?

 Can people afford to buy it?

 Can we make it more affordable?

 Jay Bhagwan design approach

OUR PROBLEMS?

 We have the ideas and designs but we are not business men  When applying for funds:  Business plan/model  Market survey etc.  This makes commercialization difficult!

FINAL THOUGHTS?

 Get a good team together  Design what the affluent would want to buy but the poor need to use  Have fun with your project!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 Collaborators  University of Venda – Prof Natasha Potgieter  ERWAT and Rand Water  Funders  University of Johannesburg  Water Research Commission  National Research Foundation  University of Johannesburg  Prof Andre Swart  Industrial designers: Robin Robertson and Martin Bolton  WHRC lab personal and students

We drink tap water….

Do you?