Exhibitors at this year’s KZN Industrial and Technology Exhibition (KITE), running from July 18 to 20 at the Durban Exhibition Centre, are being given the opportunity to flaunt their technological advancements with the introduction of the New Innovation and Products Awards.

Presented in partnership with the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), the introduction of the awards was announced on Thursday at the KITE exhibitor briefing, hosted at the Protea Hotel OR Tambo Airport, in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

It is important for manufacturers to anticipate their clients’ needs and design relevant solutions, said SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman at the briefing.

“The definition of innovation is the ability to conceive, develop, deliver and scale new products, services, processes and business models for your customer.”

Bruggeman and a panel of judges will adjudicate entries on the first two days of the industrial trade show. The winners will be announced at the exhibitor function on July 19.

Applications are open; however, if exhibitors entered the Innovation and New Products Awards presented at Electra Mining Africa in 2022, they are not eligible to apply for the KITE awards.

“The amount of publicity you are going to get will be absolutely amazing. If you think you can sell a product without publicity, you are wrong,” said Bruggeman in reference to KITE’s media partners, such as Creamer Media’s Engineering News.

He emphasised that no idea was too small to be considered.

“Only you know your product. And only you know what goes into your product. But, if you're not passionate about your product, you're not going to be innovative. I've been doing awards for many, many years, and the winners . . . live and breathe and their product. And that's where innovation comes from.”

Bruggeman implored exhibitors to enter the awards, highlighting that: “It will be worth your while.”

Entries can include modified and new technologies. The categories include industrial, transport, electrical, electronic, general machinery and equipment, logistics and health and safety.

Bruggeman will be the facilitator of Creamer Media’s upcoming Local Manufacturing webinar on May 10. Panel members include Nedbank national manufacturing manager Amith Singh, Manufacturing Circle executive director Philippa Rodseth, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa COO Tafadzwa Chibanguza and Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies senior economist Gaylor Montmasson-Clair. Click here to register.