The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with African Innovation Foundation (AIF) are now accepting applications for the first 2012 Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) aimed at honouring and encouraging innovative achievements of innovators and entrepreneurs in their endeavours that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or saving cost in Africa.
Purpose of the prize is to promote among young African men and women the pursuit of science, technology and engineering careers and business applications.
Aims
- Create platform for identification of innovative concepts and projects submitted by applicants that could be supported by IPA;
- Promote innovation across Africa in key sectors of interest through the competition;
- Promote science, technology and engineering as rewarding, exciting and noble career options among the youth in Africa by profiling successful applicants; and
- Encourage entrepreneurs, innovators, funding bodies and business development service providers to exchange ideas and explore innovative business opportunities.
Thematic Areas
Entries can be made in the following three thematic areas:
Health & Food Security
Addressing Africa’s health and food security challenge requires renewed emphasis on technological innovation. This award recognizes innovations in areas of responding effectively to health challenges and/or food security issues (including agriculture). The innovative projects can be in areas of development of new tools (e.g. R&D), or access and delivery of services effectively.
ICTs
Increasingly various forms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) applications are being used extensively for social and economic development. Consequently, ICT applications can support all aspects of sustainable development, in public administration, business/finance, education and training, health, employment, environment, agriculture and science.
Green Technologies
Green Technology requires the application of environmental science and green chemistry to conserve the natural environment and resources to mitigate the negative impacts for human beings. This award recognizes technological breakthroughs in clean/green technologies by individuals who have developed and/or implemented proven innovative strategies to mitigate or abate environmental pollution/pollutants. Innovations/inventions that are still at laboratory results, in testing stage or proof of concept will not be considered as their eventual social impact is unknown.
Last date for submission of application is September 30, 2011
For more information and details, you can visit this link.
