INNOVATIVE THINKING DISRUPTS ENGINEERING INDUSTRY BUSINESS-AS-USUAL

JG Afrika, a leading firm of
engineers and environmental scientists, has embarked on a drive to position the
company at the forefront of changes underway in the engineering industry.

Chris
Wise, a Technical Director leading this innovation drive, says disruptive
innovation has displaced established companies, significantly reshaped
traditional industries and created opportunities for new markets for products
and services.  

“The global engineering sector is
facing major disruption, driven by innovations like 3D printing, drones,
alternative energy, sustainable materials, artificial intelligence and machine
learning. JG Afrika has retained a competitive edge and remained relevant
through an ability to find innovative solutions to complex challenges. This
drive to revolutionise the way in which we innovate will ensure that we remain
the vanguards of the industry,” Wise says.

His team comprises “Innovation
Facilitators” tasked with collecting new ideas from staff. Key to this process
is creating an environment that enables creative thinking to thrive.

Jefrey Pilusa, a JG Afrika
Associate and Innovation Facilitator says voluntary brainstorming sessions and
“think tanks” have been set up to promote the transfer of knowledge between
technical disciplines and to incorporate diverse views from various
departments.

“Ideas range from “low-hanging
fruits” that can be implemented swiftly and with minimal effort through to more
ambitious programmes and projects with a significantly larger impact that will
be realised over the medium- to long-term. The areas of innovation being
targeted include those that will improve efficiencies and broaden professional
services. This is in addition to embracing disruptive technologies to find ways
of harnessing them to the benefit of our clients,” Pilusa says.

Tim
Davidson, a Technical Director of JG Afrika and the firm’s renewable energy
expert, says energy is a sound example of a JG
Afrika market segment that continues to undergo change.

“Decentralised electricity
generation is a growing global trend that is challenging traditional
centralised generation models. South Africa is gradually following suit, with
more businesses exploring self-generation to mitigate their exposure to load
shedding and decrease their carbon footprint. It is without doubt that the rate
of growth of renewable energy will continue to accelerate in years to come.”

He has  participated in the delivery of the !Khi Solar One, KaXu Solar
One, De Aar and Droogfontein solar farms, as well as Noblesfontein
wind farms under the very successful Renewable Energy Independent Power
Producer Procurement Programme.

Moreover, JG Afrika has played a
leading role in assisting companies, municipalities, schools and universities
to build resilience to water restrictions.

Work
undertaken for the International School of Cape Town is an example of JG
Afrika’s stellar work in the field. When all three phases of the project are
implemented, the school will be able to achieve savings in water of between 95%
and 98%.

The company also designed and is
implementing innovative means of reusing campus greywater in “fit-for-purpose”
applications at Stellenbosch University.

One of the largest installations of its
kind in Africa, the system will flush over 1 300 toilets used by about 25 000
university students to meet between 20% and 30% of campus water supply and
supplement campus irrigation.

Richard Emery, a
JG Afrika Executive Associate, says that other
potential “quick wins” include innovative integrated waste-management solutions
to assist industries derive sustainable value from their residue streams to
achieve a more circular economy.

Notably, he was part of the large team of companies that
delivered Africa’s
first large-scale waste-to-energy plant. Located in Athlone, Cape Town, the plant has been designed to convert
a regular supply of municipal solid waste into various forms of sustainable
energy, such as methane, liquid carbon
dioxide and refuse-derived fuel.

Wise says that these innovative
solutions are also in response to global climate change.

Paul Olivier, MD of JG Afrika, says
constant innovation has ensured that the company remains relevant throughout
its proud 97-year-long history. 

“We therefore have a sound basis
upon which we are able to continue to build. In today’s fast-paced engineering
environment, we have now provided a wonderful broad platform from which to
fully capitalise on new ideas and developments to create new opportunities and
innovative solutions for our clients,” Olivier concludes.

More information from Charmagne Denny Tel: +27 11 231
2200 / Email: DennyC@jgafrika.com / http://www.jgafrika.com