Pictured here: Maria Lloyd, of SA Management 24, who has joined the TUT cannabis team.
Professor David Katerere is co-director of the TUT/CSIR Cannabis and Hemp Research Hub which aims to support the process of getting cannabis product from ‘farmer to pharma’. The Hub recently relaunched its research platform and has taken on consultant Maria Lloyd to market its services.
The Research and Innovation Platform is a way of providing small-scale farmers, entrepreneurs and emerging corporates in the cannabis sector access to expertise in pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, crop sciences, engineering and agro-processing.
Prof Katerere, is also Professor of Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa Research Group Leader, and has called for countries in the SADC region to collaborate more closely in developing common cannabis policy and research frameworks.
The Professor collaborates with a team of South African and international students and researchers exploring applications including cannabis-based medicines, nutraceuticals, sustainable agricultural practices and biochar.
The Hub’s infrastructure includes a supercritical carbon dioxide extraction system that TUT describes as unique in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The team has been bolstered by the appointment this year of Maria Lloyd, of SA Management 24, to market the platform, which provides R&D support, training and contract extraction services to farmers, entrepreneurs and industry professionals across the cannabis and hemp value chain.
Lloyd met Prof Katerere during an African Research Network session examining how natural product innovation moves from research to market, with the engagement highlighting the role of business positioning and communication in that process.
In essence the platform hopes to connect scientific innovation with commercial strategy by offering specialised services in pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, formulation and agro-processing,
To learn more about the Cannabis and Hemp Research and Innovation Platform and its services, visit https://tutcannahemp.co.za/
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