PRESS RELEASE
Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA)
2015 now open – USD 150,000 in prizes for continent’s brightest innovators to
accelerate Africa’s development
With 2000 innovators from 48
countries entering in its first three years; IPA 2015 takes investment in
unleashing and supporting sustainable African led innovation past half a
million USD
JOHANNESBURG,
South-Africa, August 1, 2014/ -- The African Innovation Foundation (AIF)
(http://www.africaninnovation.org)
is calling on all African innovators to submit their entries for the fourth
edition of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) competition (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org).
The IPA is presented annually, enabling and encouraging African pioneers to
develop creative ideas and techniques to overcome some of the challenges faced
by the continent and support sustainable development.
Video of IPA Winner 2014: http://africaninnovationnews.
Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/
Logo Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA): http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/
Logo African Innovation Foundation (AIF): http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/
“At the African Innovation Foundation we are
passionate about Africa and its potential, that we firmly believe will be led
by empowering a new generation of African innovators and entrepreneurs.
But we also recognise that this new generation needs the resources and the
opportunities to realise their ambition,” said AIF and IPA founder Jean-Claude
Bastos de Morais. “ IPA provides a platform to encourage and harness
these entrepreneurial skills in order to help improve the lives of Africans and
to help realise untapped potential. The prize is also a great way of unleashing
creativity and promoting growth within the African continent.”
The IPA is becoming integral to facilitating
ground-breaking thinking, creativity and driving awareness to the outstanding
work being done in Africa by Africans. IPA 2013 winner, AgriProtein went on to
raise $11 million to build its first two commercial farms in Cape Town.
“Africa needs meaningful investment to
alleviate poverty and provide inclusive prosperity. To achieve this, we need to
be able to provide environments that promote quality investment for the people
and reduce risks. Forums like the IPA are necessary to make the most of the
continent's investment," said AgriProtein spokesperson, David Drew.
All innovations are evaluated based on the
following criteria: originality, marketability, scalability, social impact and
scientific/technical aspects. The best submission will be awarded a grand prize
of USD 100 000. The second prize of USD 25 000 will be awarded to an
innovator with an innovation which has the best commercial and business
potential. An additional award is a special prize granted to the innovator
whose innovation has the best social impact in the community.
The IPA encourages entries in five key categories:
Agriculture and Agribusiness, Environment, Energy and Water, Health and
Wellbeing, ICT applications, and Manufacturing and Services Industries.
Recognising home grown innovative ingenuity,
the prize contributes to increased funding of start-ups, adoption of new and
emerging technologies and accelerated growth of the private sector.
With ever changing economic and social environments, it is critical that
proposed solutions tackle issues affecting African lives, and that they are
effective and are different from the existing ones.
IPA 2014 named Dr Nicolaas Duneas and Mr Nuno Pires
from South Africa the winners of the grand Prize and received USD 100’000 for
their Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM TM), the first injectable porcine
derived BMP medical device in the world — an innovative product for the
treatment of bone injuries and voids through the use of a regenerative
biological implant.
The IPA also beckons all investors,
governments and other stakeholders interested in evaluating, investing and
maximising the continent’s resources to participate in this innovative and
empowering initiative and make a significant change through generous
contributions that will accelerate the Africa’s economic growth.
The deadline for submitting applications for
IPA 2015 is 31
October 2014 at 24h00 GMT. For more information on competition
categories, conditions of entry, and submission details, please visit: http://
Distributed by APO (African Press
Organization) on behalf of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA).
Contacts
Janine Raftopoulos, Burson-Marsteller
Phone: +27 11 480 8525
Pauline Mujawamariya, AIF
Phone: + 41 44 515 5466
About IPA
The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) (http://www.
About AIF
The African Innovation
Foundation (AIF) (http://www.africaninnovation.
SOURCE
Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA)
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