Wits Innovation Centre leadership changes announced
- Wits University
Announcement by Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation on the way forward for the WIC.
The Wits Innovation Centre (WIC) announced today that Dr Adam Pantanowitz, the inaugural incumbent of the Angela and David Fine Chair in Innovation, is stepping down to pursue a life as an entrepreneur.
Dr Pantanowitz was responsible for forming the WIC and served as the inaugural Director for 18 months.
During his tenure, he was involved in revising and writing new policies, brokering deals for Wits University spinouts and building partnerships across the Wits ecosystem, including aligning Wits Enterprise and Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct. He also negotiated investments into the University Technology Fund (UTF), and initiated plans to establish a bespoke Wits Innovation Fund (WIF).
Dr Pantanowitz supported new programs such as Artists in Labs, GRiP and the Postdoctoral Fellowships in Innovation while successfully supporting and implementing new and existing WIC programming such as Afretec-funded workshops, the PGDip in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Prospectors and the Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BIE) training courses.
He delivered numerous public talks and had many internal engagements, and through this work, conceptualised the thinking which attracted a large grant from MerSETA.
His lasting contribution will be his ability to create innovator-friendly pathways and frameworks for translating University research to impactful innovations.
Dr Pantanowitz will continue to serve as a part-time strategic advisor in the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation to ensure the continuity of projects he championed.
We thank Dr Pantanowitz for using his ingenuity and unique skills to advance innovation at Wits and wish him all the best.
Acting Chair in the Wits Innovation Centre (WIC)
During the transition, Professor Christo Doherty, will assume the role of Acting Chair within the WIC where he currently serves as the academic co-ordinator of the PGDip in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Professor Doherty is a pioneer artist, scholar and innovator who consistently pushes the cutting edge of art and technology in Africa. He founded the Digital Arts Department in the Wits School of Arts where he developed ground-breaking programmes in Digital Animation, Interactive Media and Game Design – making Wits the first university to adapt its art curricula to embrace new technologies.
The Game Design programme led to a unique collaborative degree with the Wits School of Electrical and Information Engineering. He also co-founded and became the first Creative Director of the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival, which is still thriving today at the Tshimologong Innovation Hub, more than a decade after it was started.
After joining the WIC in 2022, Professor Doherty founded the Artists-in-Labs programme, which has stimulated unique collaborative projects between artists and scientists in engineering and physics at Wits.
We thank Professor Doherty for his willingness to take on the Chair role and to further the academic aspirations of the WIC.
Director of the Wits Innovation Centre (WIC)
Finally, we are pleased to announce that Mr Letlotlo Phohole has been appointed as the Director of the WIC.
Over the past year, Mr Phohole has made notable contributions in training and education, including directing his team in facilitating critical systems thinking courses for industry leaders and developing innovative programs in design thinking. He was instrumental in securing strategic projects such as MerSETA, which leverages systems and design thinking to address complex challenges in skills planning.
Under his leadership, the Innovation Support unit was broadened to accommodate all Faculties and student entrepreneurs in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students. He introduced Innovation Readiness Levels to enhance the commercial viability of Wits inventions. He also expanded the role of the Innovation Systems Lab to support research and development and scaling for innovations such as Peco Power, Button Optics, and Cleantouch.
Mr Phohole has significantly grown the Telkom Industry Solutions Lab from two initial contributors to a robust team comprising six resident engineers in training, data scientists, a system architect, an entrepreneur and innovator in residence, academics, as well as the Telkom R&D and a project management team. This expanded team has tackled operational efficiency projects, including the use of AI tools and methods, to enhance customer experiences as an initial set of interventions.
Furthermore, Mr Phohole played a pivotal role in strategic projects such as the Jozi My Jozi initiative, which fosters a united movement for Johannesburg’s renewal, and major transcontinental projects like the Trans Africa Growth Corridor (TAGC) and the Peace Dividend Growth Corridor (PDGC), involving multiple African nations and the US Government. These efforts showcase his ability to lead impactful international collaborations and development projects.
We are excited for Mr Phohole to direct the WIC into its next phase of growth and impact.
Professor Lynn Morris
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation
5 March 2025