College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2023 80 SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION AND FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (4IR) At present, the Centre sustains itself through the generous prizes earned in various hackathons, with invaluable support from the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems. While we are grateful for this backing, we understand the importance of long-term financial stability and are actively pursuing funding opportunities. Leveraging the expertise of our advisory board members, we are committed to securing sustainable funding streams. Notably, we have recently been awarded grants to collaborate with MICT SETA on special projects, marking a significant milestone in our pursuit of financial stability. In terms of operational stability, the Centre relies on the collaboration of industry partners to ensure the efficient delivery of our core functions. Through our innovation hackathons, our students have successfully developed commercially viable solutions that have progressed to incubation at TTO and acceleration at Hacklab Foundation programmes. These projects span various sectors, including agriculture and healthcare, with standout examples like Mindmate and the recently developed Falsify. For instance, Falsify uses cutting-edge 4IR technologies, such as AI, to combat the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, while Mindmate deals with mental health issues. These initiatives underscore our commitment to sustainability and innovation, driving forward the transformative potential of the 4IR to address pressing societal challenges and foster inclusive growth.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx