Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande is scheduled to visit Walter Sisulu University’s Institute for Advanced Tooling in kuGompo City on Monday, 2 November 2026, in an engagement focused on the role of university-based innovation in strengthening manufacturing in the Eastern Cape.
The visit is due to take place at 10:00 at the institute’s premises at 19 Manchester Road, Chiselhurst. It forms part of the ministry’s broader Eastern Cape programme aimed at improving regional co-ordination in science, technology and innovation while supporting an industrial economy driven by research, technical skills and local production.
A university facility with an industrial focus
The Institute for Advanced Tooling operates within Walter Sisulu University and is funded through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s Technology Stations Programme. The programme is implemented by the Technology Innovation Agency, an entity of the department.
Rather than serving only as an academic facility, the institute is structured to provide practical assistance to businesses and innovators. Its stated users include manufacturers in the region, small, medium and micro enterprises, inventors, individual innovators, academic partners and, where appropriate, larger companies.
That model places the university close to the production challenges faced by businesses that may not have access to expensive machinery, specialised design services or advanced technical expertise. Through the technology-station system, enterprises can draw on university infrastructure and knowledge while developing or improving products.
| Visit detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 November 2026 |
| Time | 10:00 |
| Venue | Institute for Advanced Tooling, 19 Manchester Road, Chiselhurst |
| Institution | Walter Sisulu University, kuGompo City Campus |
Supporting local manufacturing
The institute began operating in January 2007. It developed from a unit created to support the local tooling industry, with particular attention to the automotive sector. Its work is linked to the Technology Stations Programme’s light metals and tooling manufacturing sector.
Tooling is a foundational part of manufacturing because it involves the design and production of equipment used to make other products. Support in this area can help enterprises refine designs, test concepts, measure components and work towards more advanced production methods. The source information does not indicate what decisions or announcements may follow the minister’s visit, but the scheduled engagement places the institute’s capabilities within a national discussion about industrial development and localisation.
Specialised technical capabilities
The institute’s listed services cover several stages of product development and manufacturing. These include mechanical design, product and concept development, metrology, analysis, advanced manufacturing, reverse engineering and skills development.
It also has specialised capacity in seven-axis computer numerical control robotic milling. Such machinery forms part of the institute’s advanced manufacturing offering and supports technical work that requires highly controlled cutting and shaping processes. The available information does not specify the number of companies currently using the equipment or the value of projects completed through the facility.
- Mechanical design and product development
- Metrology and technical analysis
- Advanced manufacturing and reverse engineering
- Skills development and support for knowledge-innovation projects
- Seven-axis CNC robotic milling
Why the visit matters to smaller enterprises
For smaller firms, access to specialised infrastructure can be a barrier to bringing an idea from a drawing or prototype into production. The institute’s purpose is to help address that gap by connecting businesses and innovators with technical expertise housed within a university.
The Technology Stations Programme is intended to promote technology-based innovation, localisation and industrial development. In practical terms, that means supporting the development of local technical capacity and helping enterprises access services that can contribute to better products and more sophisticated manufacturing processes.
The programme also reflects the growing policy emphasis on using public research institutions to support economic activity beyond their campuses. In the Eastern Cape, the institute’s links to the tooling and automotive sectors give the visit a particular regional relevance, although no new commitments or funding allocations have been announced in the information available ahead of the engagement.
Skills and innovation at the centre
Alongside its work with established manufacturers and smaller businesses, the institute provides training and supports knowledge-innovation projects. This creates a bridge between technical education and the needs of industry, while offering inventors and individuals a route to specialised assistance.
The minister’s engagement is therefore expected to examine more than equipment. It is also an opportunity to assess how university-based facilities contribute to skills development, product design and the broader goal of innovation-led industrialisation. The visit comes as the department continues its programme to strengthen co-ordination in science, technology and innovation at regional level.
For communities and enterprises in and around kuGompo City, the significance of the institute lies in its potential to make advanced technical support available closer to home. The scheduled visit will bring national attention to a facility that has been operating for nearly two decades and that was established to connect higher education with the practical demands of manufacturing.
