Gauteng govt, UJ sign MoU for tech collaboration in social infrastructure delivery

Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo and University of Johannesburg (UJ) vice-chancellor Professor Tshilidzi Marwala on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that paves the way for the use of cutting-edge technologies to ensure the more efficient delivery of social infrastructure.

The partnership will see UJ providing scientific research to assist the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development in delivering quality infrastructure on time, within budget by leveraging on the opportunities that come with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence.

“As a country and as [the Gauteng] province, we cannot afford to have high rates of investment in infrastructure, while we have low rates of economic growth,” Mamabolo said.

He added that the partnership between the department and UJ was in line with the Gauteng provincial government’s strategic outlook and the provincial vision of transformation, modernisation and re-industrialisation.

The partnership follows after the department launched its “eye in the sky” drone programme, which has strengthened the department’s ability to monitor work being done on the ground in 340 projects that are being delivered across the development corridors of Gauteng’s city region.