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WEF recognises SharkSafe as a top ocean innovator
Author: Operations and Finance
Published: 29/03/2021

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SharkSafe Barrier™, an Innovus spinout company from Stellenbosch University, was recognised by the World Economic Forum's digital platform UpLink as one of its top ocean innovators.

UpLink, the WEF's digital platform for scaling innovation and driving progress toward sustainable development goals, unveiled its second cohort of ocean innovators on 22 January 2021. The platform aims to identify and highlight businesses such as SharkSafe PTY as a company with great potential to accelerate the United Nations' goals for sustainable development. 

SharkSafe Barrier™, the first eco-friendly technology that combines magnetic and visual stimuli to deter Shark species considered dangerous to humans, last year also won the prestigious NSTF South32's Lewis Foundation Green Economy award for outstanding contributions to science, engineering, technology and innovation in South Africa. The inventors of SharkSafe Barrier™, are Michael Rutzen, Dr Sara Andreotti, Dr Craig O'Connell and Prof Matthee. Dr Andreotti and Prof Matthee are from SU's Department of Botany and Zoology.