HTTPS celebrates first anniversary

The HTTPS offers a long-term strategic initiative to enable future innovations that can be taken from academia to market by start-ups, entrepreneurs, and industry. “It is indeed a moment of great pride to see the HTTPS concept growing and embracing opportunities that create strategic alliances of like-minded institutions. The physical and virtual space has become a shining example of a functional technologically inspired ecosystem,” NUST Vice-Chancellor, Dr Erold Naomab, said.

The initial idea for the HTTPS was for the building to become an office space for staff with a post-graduate centre and a parking garage. However, the initiative was revised with the aim to transform the facility into a space that drives the competitiveness through transdisciplinary research co- creation, co-development, application and transfer of specialised knowledge and technology aligned with NUST signature programmes. Current partnerships with the HTTPS include the Southern African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Land Management (SASSCAL), a tripartite agreement with MTC and Huawei, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through financing the operational framework of the HTTPS.