Leading academic joins

Namibian business innovation project JON Foster-Pedley, senior lecturer in strategy at the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB), has been appointed creativity and innovation advisor to the Namibia Business Innovation Centre project, a new initiative combining a science park, technology park and business incubator.

The centre is designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial Namibian companies. Funded by Finnish Aid and run through the Government of Namibia and the Namibia Polytechnic, the landmark project is set to massively increase support for entrepreneurial firms in Namibia.”The Namibian government has a particular interest in creativity and innovation and has assembled a multinational team to grapple with the issues and ensure it is well designed and executed.We are currently designing the structure, business plan and methods of the incubator and will be presenting back to the Namibian Government and the funders in the next few months,” said Foster-Pedley.Projects such as these incubators, he added, are critical to building enterprises that make a major contribution to the growth of national economies as well as the southern African region as a whole.As part of his role as an advisor, Foster-Pedley will also be giving public talks in Namibia on innovation and creativity in the near future.Professor Frank Horwitz, director of the UCT GSB, extended congratulations to Foster-Pedley on behalf of the business school.”This reflects much credit on yourself and your standing and will no doubt benefit the school, raising its profile in the region,” he said.Foster-Pedley is a leading thinker globally in the area of creativity and innovation in business strategy.He was director of the Southern Innovation Centre and Business Incubator in New Zealand and also sat on the Advisory board for the New Zealand Innovation Centre.Funded by Finnish Aid and run through the Government of Namibia and the Namibia Polytechnic, the landmark project is set to massively increase support for entrepreneurial firms in Namibia.”The Namibian government has a particular interest in creativity and innovation and has assembled a multinational team to grapple with the issues and ensure it is well designed and executed.We are currently designing the structure, business plan and methods of the incubator and will be presenting back to the Namibian Government and the funders in the next few months,” said Foster-Pedley.Projects such as these incubators, he added, are critical to building enterprises that make a major contribution to the growth of national economies as well as the southern African region as a whole.As part of his role as an advisor, Foster-Pedley will also be giving public talks in Namibia on innovation and creativity in the near future.Professor Frank Horwitz, director of the UCT GSB, extended congratulations to Foster-Pedley on behalf of the business school.”This reflects much credit on yourself and your standing and will no doubt benefit the school, raising its profile in the region,” he said.Foster-Pedley is a leading thinker globally in the area of creativity and innovation in business strategy.He was director of the Southern Innovation Centre and Business Incubator in New Zealand and also sat on the Advisory board for the New Zealand Innovation Centre.