by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOME 16 innovators from seven countries will compete for the £60 000 Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Innovation fund.
They are from Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
Innovations include life-saving post-natal care for mothers and babies in rural areas, hybrid green energy and waste recovery solutions for farmers, smart farming technology for food crops, fisheries and beekeepers, innovative AI tools for the hearing impaired and to monitor energy use in homes, electricity-free cold storage for smallholder farmers and a pollution-free alternative cooking fuel made from recycled plastic.
“We are thrilled to see another round of 16 incredible innovators who are dedicating their lives to solving important problems in their local communities through engineering,” Rebecca Enonchong, Africa Prize judge, said.
“Their innovations demonstrate the power of local innovation, adapting existing technologies to create context-specific solutions that directly address the unique needs and challenges of their regions,” she added.
Enonchong said this year, they saw a trend in the themes chosen for their innovations with a significant focus on neonatal healthcare, food security and recycling.
“All of these represent critical priorities in today’s innovation landscape. I am delighted to welcome these entrepreneurs to the Africa Prize community and look forward to following their journey as they develop their engineering solutions over the coming months.”
Launched in 2014, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is the continent’s largest prize dedicated to fostering engineering innovation, with a mission to stimulate, celebrate and reward innovation and entrepreneurship across sub-Saharan Africa.
Since its inception, the prize has supported 149 companies from 22 African countries with training, mentoring and communication resources, employing over 28 000 people and benefiting over 10 million people through the innovative products and services developed.
The winner will receive £25 000 and the three runners-up will each receive £10 000.
– CAJ News