Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships

The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) continues to build a vibrant and impactful research culture, marked by innovation, collaboration and societal relevance. Our researchers are achieving significant milestones – from the elevation of the SAMRC–CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Centre to a fully-fledged unit with increased funding, to steady growth in the number of NRF-rated researchers and staff completing doctoral degrees. These achievements reflect the strength of our intellectual capital and our position as a leader in applied research and innovation.

Our research is deeply connected to both national priorities and global agendas. Projects such as the R60 million SATREPS initiative with Japan on carbon recycling and the R7 million grant for water governance demonstrate CPUT’s leadership in sustainability and its commitment to tackling urgent societal needs. Locally engineered innovations, including a 3D Coordinate Measuring Machine for SMEs, show our dedication to technology that empowers both communities and industry.

Partnerships remain central to our approach. Collaborations with industry leaders such as Eskom and Mercedes-Benz South Africa ensure our research addresses real-world challenges, while international engagements through DAAD, SASUF and the U6+ Consortium extend our global reach. Capacity-building initiatives, such as the Research Innovation Fund for Teaching and Learning (RIFTAL) and the Article Writing Accelerator, alongside the international CoreTrustSeal certification of eSango, further strengthen our research environment.

While only a sample of our successes, these achievements illustrate the depth and breadth of CPUT’s research endeavours. They affirm our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and societal impact.

CPUT has identified six key research areas that align with the country’s and international development goals.

The Research Focus Areas are each populated with Research Niche Areas to enhance the bulk of CPUT’s research, technology and innovation efforts and resources. These provide the mainstays around which capacity and strengths are developed in terms of our academic and research objectives. The current six Research Focus Areas are directly aligned to chapters in the South African National Development Plan 2030 in terms of competitiveness and relevance to South Africa and to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in terms of competitiveness and relevance to the global earth.

CPUT thoroughly appoints Research Chairs to enhance specific research agendas, supervise postgraduate students, and secure funding for research activities. The portfolio emphasises the partnerships with external stakeholders, including government, industry and research institutions.

The RTIP Portfolio provides a context for developing research, innovation and strategic partnerships, intending to achieve the university’s vision of becoming a leading smart university of technology.

The approved CPUT RTI Blueprint 3.0 has been formulated in alignment with the Institution’s Vision 2030 Strategy. This Blueprint emphasises both the quality and quantity of the academic staff at CPUT engaged in research, the success rate of postgraduate students and the establishment of strategic partnerships both nationally and international levels.

The primary objective of the RTI Blueprint 3.0 is to fortify successful initiatives within CPUT’s research and technology innovation framework, advocate transdisciplinary research, and maintain strong focus on entrepreneurship to support socio-economic of the Western Cape and South Africa at large. The overarching aims the CPUT RTI Blueprint 3.0 is to build upon the achievements and insights gathered from the past decade while advancing the ambitious goals set forth in the RTI Agenda 2030.

The various portfolios comprising the research, technology innovation and partnerships (RTIP) portfolio, along with their functions are outlined below:

RTIP Portfolio