The Siemans Stiftung Empowering People Network, which promotes technological solutions to meet basic needs in developing regions, has opened entries for a global innovators award worth R680 000.
The Empowering People Award is a call for engineers and developers around the world, including South Africa, to come up with innovative technical solutions to tackle community challenges relating to basic needs.
Entries can be submitted in any one of the following categories:
- Water and Waste Water
- Energy
- Food and Agriculture
- Waste Management
- Healthcare
- Sheltering
- Education
- Information and Communication
Up for grabs is a grand prize of R680 000, a second prize of R400 000 and third prize of R275 000. Twenty runners-up will be awarded R65 000 each. Entries close on 30th November and must be submitted on the Empowering People Network website.
Finalists will be notified four weeks before the award ceremony takes place on a yet-to-be-announced date in mid-2016. The public will be able to vote for one finalist to receive a community prize of hardware to the value of R40 000.
Finalists will also become part of the Empowering People Network and will benefit from training sessions on relevant topics for their businesses and expert support for their organisational or technical developments.
“The goal of the contest is ultimately to empower people in developing regions to have access to basic services for their daily needs. We want to locate creative solutions and we are eager to work with innovative teams to bring their solutions to the lives of those who need them most,” said Rolf Huber, managing director, Siemens Stiftung.
Last year’s finalists include the likes of MiEMs: MED from Zanzibar, which is an internet database of hospital equipment inventory used to monitor functionality and manage hospital supply chains.
[Source & Image – Siemens Stiftung]
