From left: Professor Lynn Morris, deputy vice-chancellor: research and innovation (Wits University); professor Cuthbert Musingwini, dean, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (Wits University); professor Ling Cheng, Wits/Bidvest Chair in Smart Solutions (Wits University); and Webb Meko, CEO, Bidvest FM.
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), in partnership with Bidvest Services International, has committed R6 million over three years to research and postgraduate development in telecommunications, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies.
According to a statement, the funding will support the Wits Bidvest Chair in smart solutions, housed in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering within the Wits Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, develop postgraduate research capacity and support the translation of research into practical applications.
Examples of these smart solutions include visible light communication (LiFi), AI-powered underground miner tracking and smart-city connectivity.
LiFi uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to transmit data through light signals that compatible devices receive and convert into digital information, potentially providing high-speed wireless connectivity.
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AI-powered underground miner tracking combines communication networks, location data and machine-learning algorithms to monitor miners’ positions and movements, helping improve workplace safety and identify potential risks.
Smart city connectivity uses internet-connected sensors and devices to collect and exchange real-time data about infrastructure and urban services, enabling operators to monitor conditions, detect faults and improve operational efficiency.
Professor Ling Cheng, Wits Bidvest chair holder and professor in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, will lead the initiative. His areas of expertise include telecommunications, AI and renewable energy.
The Chair follows an initial 18-month research collaboration between Wits and Bidvest, building on Cheng’s engagement with the organisation.
“Strong partnerships between universities and industry are essential for translating research into practical solutions. The Chair provides an opportunity to build on our existing collaboration with Bidvest, develop research talent and explore how AI-assisted technologies can address challenges in industry and society,” says Cheng.
According to Wits, the initiative will bring together academic researchers, postgraduate students and industry partners to investigate applications of telecommunications, AI and smart technologies.
Wits says the Chair will support industry-relevant research, while contributing to technological development in SA and across the continent. Its work could explore interconnected systems, intelligent infrastructure and applications where advanced communications and AI can improve decision-making and operational processes.
The programme is also intended to strengthen knowledge exchange between university researchers and Bidvest, allowing industry challenges to inform research priorities and creating opportunities to apply academic expertise to practical problems.
The Chair will support postgraduate supervision and research output, providing opportunities for emerging researchers to participate in collaborative projects and develop skills relevant to academia and industry.
The three-year initiative is intended to establish a foundation for continued cooperation between Wits and Bidvest, with research, innovation and skills development forming its central objectives.
Further information about projects underway is available through the Digital Smart Lab.