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UFS partners with ZZ2 and launches NovaLogix

22 January 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Born2shoot

Dr Tommie van Zyl, Prof Philippe Burger and Prof Francis Petersen — At the launch of NovaLogix, a company co-owned by the UFS and ZZ2, were, from the left, Dr Tommie van Zyl, CEO of the ZZ2 Group, and Prof Philippe Burger, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, and Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently (17 January 2024) launched NovaLogix in collaboration with ZZ2, a well-known South African fresh produce company.

This new company, co-owned by the university and ZZ2, aims to develop and produce a probiotic used in the production of fresh produce to enhance plant health and growth. Projects include a focus on improved production techniques, product registration, commercialisation, and improved recipes.

Members of the university’s management structures were present at the formal launch of NovaLogix – which took place on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus – including the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Francis Petersen; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, Prof Vasu Reddy; and the Senior Director of the Directorate Research Development, Dr Glen Taylor. The deans of the two faculties that will be mainly involved in this partnership were also present, namely Prof Paul Oberholster, the Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Prof Philippe Burger, the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Among the attendees representing ZZ2 were Dr Tommie van Zyl, the Chief Executive Officer of the ZZ2 Group, Piet Prinsloo, Executive Manager at ZZ2, as well as Wiam Haddad, the new CEO of NovaLogix.

Co-creation and more sustainable outcomes

In his welcoming remarks, Prof Petersen stated that this event marks the culmination of a five-year journey that began in 2019 when he, Prof Burger, and Prof Danie Vermeulen, former Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, first visited ZZ2 to initiate closer collaboration and cooperation.

He is of the opinion that the relationship with ZZ2 is ideally suited to assist the university in realising the core values of Vision 130, the university’s strategic intent to reposition the institution as one of the leading universities in South Africa by 2034.

The knowledge, experience, and expertise that ZZ2 brings to the partnership, complement the exciting and impactful research done by the university’s academics across a range of disciplines. - Prof Francis Petersen

Prof Petersen said that the UFS values partnerships with the private sector, and he considers ZZ2 to be a knowledge partner with co-creation as a key component in this collaboration.

“Working together on a challenge makes the solution more sustainable. I believe that innovation and this co-creation approach will generate outcomes that transform the agricultural sector and impart knowledge to the next generation,” he stated.

“The knowledge, experience, and expertise that ZZ2 brings to the partnership complement the exciting and impactful research conducted by the university’s academics across a range of disciplines. I am looking forward to a partnership that will grow from strength to strength,” concluded Prof Petersen.

Breakthrough developments in the pipeline

According to Dr Van Zyl, ZZ2 would like to continue building a future with the university based on a symbiotic relationship. “We want to ensure that our strengths as an organisation are put to good use,” he said, expressing a strong conviction that there will be breakthrough developments with this initiative.

This work will align with ZZ2’s ‘Work with nature’ journey that began more than two decades ago, steering away from conventional, industrial agriculture towards a system that aims to farm in harmony with nature. “It is important that we nurture nature while using her resources,” he said.

He is excited to work with the university, exploring improved techniques and technologies to find more effective ways towards a sustainable future. “Knowledge partners are important in this journey,” he stated.

Building on existing collaborations

In September 2022, the university entered into a collaboration agreement with ZZ2. The partnership between the two entities included the establishment of FreeFarm Innovation, a company that in turn has a holding in NovaLogix and is designed to leverage the strengths, capabilities, skills, and resources of both parties. Part of the operations of FreeFarm Innovation included opportunities for research, commercialisation, and the enhancement of agricultural products. This has come into effect in projects on, for example, business operations, agricultural sustainability, and innovative approaches to growing fruit and vegetables, to name but a few.

News Archive

Early nutrition impacts on burden of disease

2017-11-15

Prof Corinna Walsh during her inaugural lecture on ‘Nutrition in Transition’.
Photo: Stephen Collett

“The first 1 000 days, from conception to two years, is a critical time to ensure that the early environment is optimal to guarantee the best outcomes,” Prof Corinna Walsh, Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Free State (UFS), said. She delivered her inaugural lecture on Nutrition in Transition on 30 October 2017.

During her lecture, Prof Walsh explained how an unfavourable early environment impacts on the health and well-being of both children and adults. She gave an overview of the prevalence of hunger and food insecurity in the Free State, and described the shift that has occurred from healthier traditional diets to more unhealthy Western diets accompanied by sedentary lifestyles. These patterns are closely linked to the triple burden of malnutrition, including undernutrition, micro-nutrient malnutrition, and obesity. Finally, Prof Walsh highlighted the double burden of disease, focusing on chronic lifestyle diseases on the one hand, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB on the other hand.

“Preparing for this lecture has given me the opportunity to reflect on the almost thirty years of my research journey, a process that I thoroughly enjoyed,” said Prof Walsh.

“It was a privilege to share the work of my research team with fellow colleagues as well as with family and friends,” she said. Prof Walsh is a National Research Foundation C-rated researcher and also served on the Board of the Medical Research Council from 2005 to 2010.

Foundations for health, growth established early
The first 1 000-day window focuses on the time between conception and the second birthday. “This is a critical period for growth and development,” Prof Walsh said. It is a unique period, as the foundations for health, growth, and neuro-development are established. It also focused on the implications of malnutrition, which is the biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease.

Research identifies burden of disease
Her research has made a considerable contribution to identifying the burden of disease in the Free State. “It focuses on both malnutrition and infectious diseases such as HIV and TB on the one hand, and chronic lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension on the other,” she said. The research team have also implemented a number of interventions to address these challenges, including programmes that have assessed the impact of nutrition-education programmes, household food gardens, and nutrition supplementation.

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