Graduate School of Technology Management

NEW GRADUATES. COUNTLESS POSSIBILITIES.

On 1 September, the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) proudly celebrated the achievements of graduates, including 2 newly awarded PhDs, Lucas J Shabangu and Orrico Ramos Nicolina Maria Sousa at our Graduation Ceremony.

This milestone reflects the dedication, resilience, and academic excellence of our students, who are now equipped to lead innovation, technology, and engineering management across industries. We congratulate each graduate on their remarkable accomplishment and look forward to the impact they will make in shaping the future.

CONGRATULATIONS PROF SCHALK GROBBELAAR

Congratulations to Schalk Grobbelaar on being selected as a Director of the Institute for Timber Construction South Africa (ITC-SA) during its Annual General Meeting.

The ITC-SA is a registered non-profit company, a SAQA-recognised professional body and an ECSA-recognised voluntary association. It promotes quality, safety, professional development and compliance with industry standards in South Africa’s prefabricated timber roof truss sector.

This appointment recognises Prof Grobbelaar’s professional expertise and provides an important opportunity to contribute to industry development, governance and professional practice. GSTM wish Schalk every success in this role.

More about ITC-SA : https://itc-sa.org/

SOUTH AFRICA’s CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS A RISK MANAGEMENT PROBLEM

Risk management is one of the most important tools a construction project has. Yet in South Africa, its implementation continues to fall
short, with real consequences for project outcomes.

New research by Schalk Grobbelaar, Kgotatso Masea, and Ferdinand Hassan set out to understand why. Through in-depth interviews with experienced industry professionals, the study identified both the barriers holding risk management back and the enablers that make it work.

The findings are pointed. Inadequate knowledge, communication breakdowns, financial constraints, and resistant attitudes are holding risk management back. But the research also shows what works: leadership support, clear policies, and proactive engagement. From these findings, the researchers developed a practical framework to help construction organisations close the gap between knowing risk management matters and really making it work.

Kgotatso Masea received the award for the second-best paper published in the South African Journal for Industrial Engineering at the annual SAIIE awards evening.

Access the full paper here:
https://sajie.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/3229/1355

Published in: South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

FROM CONSTRUCTION TO INNOVATION: BUILDING A FUTURE BEYOND BOUNDARIES

“My path into Engineering and Technology Management was not the obvious one. I had built my academic foundation in Construction Management, and it was a field I was proud of. But I began to feel that there was more I wanted to understand, not just how things are built, but how technology is managed, how innovation is led, and how we can think more clearly about the big, messy problems the world keeps presenting us with. So I made a decision to follow that feeling, and I have not regretted it for a single day.

The ETM programme gave me exactly what I was looking for. Modules like Systems Thinking and Engineering, Technology and Innovation Management, and Engineering Technology Economics did not just teach me content. They changed the way I see things. I came in hoping to find better answers. What the programme actually gave me was a better way of asking questions, and an appreciation for just how deep and layered the world's challenges really are. That, to me, is more valuable.

I will not pretend the journey was always easy. There were moments when my group mates and I would look at each other under the pressure of deadlines and workload and say, "We will speak of this in past tense, but for now we have to make sure we speak good things about it." And now, on the other side of it, we absolutely do.

If you are thinking about this programme, take the step. It will stretch you, shape you, and leave you better equipped to face whatever comes next.” - Motlatsi Robert Rankoloko

INNOVATION METHODS
There are many innovation frameworks - but which ones perform best in the real world? Share your comments: which approach works best in your environment, and what makes it succeed?

- Lean Startup
- Design Thinking
- Stage-Gate
- Agile innovation

BUILDING TOMORROW WITH TIMBER: GROWING CONNECTIONS, INSPIRING CHANGE

Join the movement shaping the future of sustainable construction!

The Timber Construction Conference which will take place at Future Africa on 15 September, brings together academia, industry and government to drive innovation, collaboration and the adoption of timber construction across South Africa and beyond. Together, we're building a greener, more sustainable future—one connection at a time.

Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclBhPf2sJ68c5G-pyK6_hYD9rj5cT-S8rG7E8iEKJ-f4zImA/viewform
Read more here:
https://www.growingtimberconnections.com/home/

THINKING BEYOND ENGINEERING, LEADING THROUGH INNOVATION

“I am happy that I made the decision to pursue the Master of Technology and Innovation Management (MTIM) through UP’s GSTM. The programme challenged me to think beyond purely technical and engineering perspectives and helped me develop a broader strategic view of technology and innovation in industry. It combines strong theoretical grounding with hands-on learning, including impactful research and a clear focus on practical industry application in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Being recognised as one of the top-performing students in the MTIM class was a proud milestone in this journey.” - Kgololosego Kototsi

Read more about the MTIM programme:
https://www.up.ac.za/graduate-school-of-technology-management/masters-technology-and-innovation-management-mtim