Region
North West
South Africa

Sector
Public Sector Entity

Summary:

Invest North West is facilitating the development of a Science Park to help stimulate the regional economy. The park will offer investors significant competitive advantages to doing business in the province.

Contact
Mr Floyd Leeuw

Email
floyd@inw.org.za

Tel
+27 14 594 2570

The North West Science Park
With the aid of Invest North West, the North West province is keeping up with the global trend of developing science parks to create and promote regional innovation systems.

What is a science park?

A science park can be defined as an area with a collection of innovative, high-tech businesses in a well-landscaped surrounding, located in close proximity to an established innovative university, where these businesses can enjoy significant infrastructural and business support opportunities to develop and conduct their operations.

Potential tenants at the Science Park include: 

• Start-up innovation companies
• High-technology companies
• Independent businesses
• Service providers
• Industry development centres
• Unique product developers

The North West University (NWU) provides an excellent opportunity for the development of such a regional innovation system. NWU, which received a national award for the most innovative progressive higher educational institution in South Africa, is ideally located in the municipality of Potchefstroom. The establishment of a science park close to NWU will not only make a significant contribution to Potchefstroom’s manufacturing sector but also to the long-term competitiveness of the region.

A location has already been set aside for the R30-million project that fulfils the internationally-accepted requirements of such a park and a preliminary design has been prepared. Start-up innovative/high-technology companies, independent businesses and services providers are being sought as anchor tenants. In addition, Industry Development Centres that could develop their own products with the support of the NWU are required as key categories and businesses to occupy the science park.

For more information contact Floyd Leeuw at Invest North West on +27 14 594 2570 or email floyd@inw.org.za

For more information on other investment opportunities in the province, see here how Invest North West is Linking investment in the North West.