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?