From research to reality

Great health innovations don’t fail because of weak science. They fail because the path from research to real-world impact is complex, underfunded, and often poorly understood. This SWEAT side gathering, hosted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), opens that path up – bringing founders, researchers, and ecosystem builders into direct conversation with the people shaping South Africa’s health innovation funding landscape.

Took place at Bertha Retreat on 13 February, the session unpacked the practical instruments SAMRC uses to help entrepreneurs move health innovation out of the lab and into the market – from early research through product development, IP protection, and scale.

“Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, at SWEAT, we want to connect the dots – between researchers, funders, and entrepreneurs – so promising ideas don’t stall before they reach patients.” says SAMRC’s Director of International Business Development, Dr Richard Gordon, who is leading this session.

Inside SAMRC’s innovation toolbox

As Africa’s largest government funder of health research, SAMRC plays a central role in shaping how new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, devices, and digital health solutions are developed and deployed on the continent. This session introduced key SAMRC instruments – and the people behind them – who are actively supporting innovators at different stages of the journey. Led by Zoleka Ngcete, SAMRC’s Senior Programme Manager, the discussion covered:

• The Strategic Health Innovation Partnership (SHIP), funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, which invests in drug, vaccine, digital health, AI, and medical-device innovation – from research through product development.
• Grand Challenges South Africa, a flagship programme since 2013 supporting bold, high-impact health solutions.

“We’re focused on backing innovation that solves real health challenges, that means supporting both strong science and the pathway to market.” says Ngcete. Michelle Mulder, SAMRC’s Executive Director, shared insights into:

• SAMRC’s Technology Transfer Office, which supports innovators with IP strategy and technology development.
• MEDDIC, the medical devices cluster hosted by SAMRC under the Technology Innovation Agency, helping spin-outs developing devices and diagnostics navigate product development challenges.
• Product development funding instruments that help bridge the notorious ‘valley of death’.

“Too many good ideas get stuck because teams don’t know where to turn next, our role is to help innovators make informed decisions early – and avoid costly missteps.” Mulder notes.

Building the funding ecosystem, together

The gathering also highlighted the African Health Research Innovation Funders Forum. Led by Dr Richard Gordon – this annual convening, hosted by SAMRC, brings together health research funders across Africa to align priorities, collaborate, and co-invest. That spirit of collaboration sits at the heart of SWEAT.

“SWEAT exists because ecosystems work better when people talk to each other, this session is about transparency, shared learning, and building trust across the system.” says Dr Gordon.