Shanghai delegation at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to explore innovation and collaboration
- Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University
The high-profile delegation from the Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment (SSCI) visited to identify potential key strategic partnerships.
On 10 June 2025, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Commercial Enterprise, in collaboration with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Internationalisation and Strategic Partnerships Office, hosted a high-profile delegation from Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment (SSCI), a venture capital firm seeking investment opportunities in the African continent.
The engagement fostered dialogue on technological innovation, funding models, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The event, held at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Commerce, Law and Management Faculty, brought together innovation management practitioners, academic leaders, industry experts, and international partners to explore synergies between South African and Chinese investment strategies.
Andrew Hope-Jones set the tone with a warm welcome, followed by introductions and an overview of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University by Dr Samia Chasi, highlighting its role as a hub for research and innovation. The Shanghai delegation shared their approach to state-owned capital investment, while Thembela Ntlemeza provided a South African perspective on funding technological advancements.
Discussions deepened over lunch, with subsequent sessions on Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ funding models led by Tebogo Machethe, and venture capital insights from Mark Harris from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct. Dr Dennis Mhangami showcased the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship’s initiatives, emphasising scalable solutions for emerging markets.
The strategic discussion identified potential partnerships, with both parties committing to further explore collaboration opportunities in technological innovation. The session concluded with a shared vision to bridge resources and expertise across continents.
Reflecting on the significance of the engagement, Dr Samia Chasi noted: “The visit of the Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment (SSCI) Company was a valuable opportunity to explore ways in which Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ can deepen and broaden its engagements with China beyond university-to-university linkages. The discussions centred on fostering industry-university partnerships in innovation and research, with insightful contributions from several key players in Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ innovation ecosystem, including Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Enterprise, the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre, the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Business School. We trust that further dialogue will contribute to strengthening existing links, creating new opportunities and strategically positioning Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ in Shanghai, one of the world’s leading innovation hubs.”
As a follow-up, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Enterprise is working with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre and Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Health Consortium to compile and share a list of high potential closer-to-market Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ innovations for SSCI’s investment consideration. This productive exchange has laid the foundation for future collaboration, an exciting prospect for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.