Pre-conference Seminars

PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR ON
DESIGN AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF METAL AND POLYMER PARTS
Hosted by the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT)

supported by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
Venue: Protea Hotel Polokwane Ranch Resort, South Africa
Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Time: 8:30 to 15:00

Background

The growing need for rapid production of industrial products, such as customised medical implants and complex aerospace components, has motivated the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) to support industry-led research and development projects through the Collaborative Program in Additive Manufacturing (CPAM). This initiative has facilitated collaboration between industry and academia, thereby bridging the gap between research and industrial application. The CPAM programme aligns with the South African Additive Manufacturing Strategy published in 2016, which was developed with DSTI
support in response to the need for an additive manufacturing roadmap for South Africa, expressed by RAPDASA in 2012.

DSTI support since 2009 for the Titanium Centre of Competence and for the CPAM since 2015 has paved the way for the recently published South African Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy (2025). This strategy provides a coordinated national roadmap to leverage strategic resources such as platinum group metals (PGMs), titanium and other critical metals. Moreover, it aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, ensuring that South Africa’s goals of poverty alleviation, sustainable development and job creation are supported through responsible extraction and utilisation of critical minerals.

Following the 2025 RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-AMI International Conference, which was organised under the theme “Bridging the Gap between Industry & Academia”, the need to accelerate the implementation of research outcomes has increased in prominence. Consequently, the 2026 RAPDASA-AMI International Conference is being organised under the theme “From Prototype to Production: Translating Research into Reality”.

In support of the theme, the 2026 RAPDASA Pre-conference Seminar on Design and Additive Manufacturing Metal and Polymer Parts has been initiated to further strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange between industry and academia.

Focus of the Seminar

The 2026 RAPDASA Pre-conference Seminar on Design and Additive Manufacturing ofMetal and Polymer Parts, hosted by the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), is aimed at bringing together participants from industry, researchers, academia and students to share insights on applied research projects driven by industry needs. Emphasis will be placed on the additive manufacturing of metal and polymer components. This one-day event will provide a platform for:

Fostering industry-led additive manufacturing research and development.
Discussing practical applications of metal and polymer parts produced through
additive manufacturing.
Strengthening collaboration between researchers and industry.
Discussing industry-related projects and their strategic objectives.

With this being a seminar, ample time will be allowed for discussion, not only of individual presentations, but also of the challenges related to full acceptance of additive manufacturing in industry.

PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR ON
COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA-DRIVEN MODELLING
Hosted by the Council for Mineral Technology (MINTEK)
Supported by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
Venue:Protea Hotel Polokwane Ranch Resort, South Africa
Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Time: 8:30 to 16:00

Background

The 2026 RAPDASA-AMI Conference is pleased to invite you to submit abstracts on the latest research, development, and innovation (RD&I) in the field of Computational and Data-driven Modelling.

This pre-conference seminar of the Advanced Materials Initiative (AMI) offers a platform for researchers and students from the various AMI networks, the Light Materials Development Network (LMDN), the Ferrous Materials Development Network (FMDN), the Precious Materials Development Network (PMDN) and the Nuclear Materials Development Network (NMDN), as well as other students and researchers in the field of materials science globally, to present their work on the topic of this seminar.

The RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-AMI Conference is a mechanism for the academic peer review of the AMI programme, which encompasses an annual conference where the work done by students and principal investigators is peer reviewed and presented to the AMI community and other interested parties. Industry is urged to also take part in this exciting event. The program encompasses materials science aimed at beneficiation of South African minerals towards RD&I-led industrialization.

Focus of the Seminar

This one-day seminar features research and development related to the field of Computational and Data-driven Modelling. It provides an opportunity for postgraduate students from the collaborating institutions and others to present their research to an international audience. Through their participation many of these students get their first exposure to the process of preparing and submitting conference papers for peer review and subsequent presentation in the seminar.

For Both Seminars:

Abstract and Paper Submission

Students and researchers who want to participate are invited to submit extended abstracts to the seminar. Instructions on the required abstract format and how to submit abstracts and papers are available at Conference Paper Submission. On acceptance of the extended abstract participants will be requested to submit a full paper. Submitted papers will be subjected to the same blind peer review process as the 2026 RAPDASA-AMI conference papers. Successful papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Selected high quality papers will be submitted for publication in the South African Journal of Industrial Engineering.