The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ), established in 2002, is a prime industrial park offering customized solutions for the following industries:

• Automotive
• Agri-industry
• Aquaculture
• Digital Economy
• Sustainable Energy
• Logistics
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Logistics

It offers growth-oriented companies a specialised manufacturing platform, innovative industrial and business solutions, and access to new markets and strategic industry networks. To accelerate the pace of economic development of the region, a Science and Technology Park (STP) was conceptualised to coordinate innovation initiatives, encourage and support the entrepreneurs, and incubation of innovative, high-growth knowledge and technology-based businesses, and to further foster development and application of high technology to industry.

Strategically, the ELIDZ’s STP aims to support current tenants within the IDZ and create a pipeline of innovative companies that would set up in the zone.

A range of laboratories is established to provide analytical testing facilities to the tenants of the ELIDZ as well as the region at large. These laboratories include testing and analytical platforms, provide high-impact training facilities as well as platforms and opportunities required to supply industry with a well-trained workforce. The laboratories will also be used in a range of research processes which will have been commissioned by government, tertiary institutions, ELIDZ tenants, the ELIDZ and/or private sector clients based on a broadly consulted research and innovation agenda.

ELIDZSTP drives innovation using the multiple helix model, ensuring that all spheres of the economy are represented and considered to try and gain maximum efficiencies.

The STP leads and coordinates an Eastern Cape Regional Innovation Platform where the following players are represented:

• Academia – bringing the scientific, technology and research elements.
• Industries – producing commercial goods, they bring markets and opportunities for new entrants. Also, may require research.
• Government – regulating markets, support tools for entrepreneurship, and supporting technology development.
• Civil society – This component focuses on the role of society and the public as the end users of innovation and the sources of skilled talent. It further highlights interrelations between technological and social innovations.

This research and innovation agenda stimulates economic growth within the Eastern Cape as it encourages innovators and their start-up companies to link up with ELIDZ and other critical enabling stakeholders where they will have access to various innovation support.

The ELIDZ’s STP aims to facilitate creative, technical solutions to problems – to assist companies adopt innovative approaches in all their operations, whether it leads to new products and services, or a new improved version of an existing offering, through improved processes.

Interactive and attractive workspaces exist to aid in the creation of a functional innovation ecology that not only allows for an effective and efficient exchange of ideas, but also results in the activation of a wide range of funding streams and partnerships that support innovation and commercialisation.

This dynamic and supportive environment is designed to enable innovators to focus on developing innovations, while incubation support services assist in ensuring that the commercial, legal, and intellectual property dimensions of operations are taken care of.