[Wigsat-l] ASBC_ African Science to Business Challenge- REMINDER
Sophia Huyer
shuyer at wigsat.org
Mon Sep 14 10:14:17 EDT 2009
Dear All,
Kinldy circulate the following announcement
ANNOUNCEMENT- NEW DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE : The African
Science
to Business Challenge (ASBC)- 30 October 2009.
(CALL - RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITH COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL IN
BIOMEDICAL
AND WATER)
1. BACKGROUND
The African Science to Business Challenge is a pioneering
initiative
launched by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
and RTI
International (RTI) aimed at strengthening links between
scientific
research and business development.
African scientists need to respond to major challenges facing the
continent
such as poverty, environmental degradation, food and energy
security,
health care, climate change, and wealth creation.
Development of
sustainable solutions to these complex issues requires the
participation of
African scientists as well as links to business. Therefore the
need for
building the capacity for indigenous scientific, technological and
business
expertise has become paramount if Africa is to develop
sustainable
solutions to its current development challenges.
This initiative recognizes the tremendous scientific efforts
underway in
all African countries through universities and research-based
institutes
despite the major obstacles regarding Science and Technology
(S&T)
development on the continent. Despite their efforts African scientists
have
limited international recognition and interest by the private
sector in
advancing their research findings. The absence of a culture of
research
commercialization in many African countries prevents research from
being
translated into productive use for national economies. This
condition is
further compounded by the fact that national systems are often not in
place
to promote new technological opportunities offered by researchers,
often
reflecting poor management structures and lack of basic
infrastructure.
Furthermore, S&T capacities within countries are weak in terms of
human and
financial resources and often suffer from poor programming and poor
working
conditions for researchers, with poor pay conditions, resulting
in a
serious brain drain problem within the sector to other non-science
sectors
and abroad to developed countries. Consequently, scientific output
has not
increased.
2. CHALLENGES TO AFRICAN SCIENTIFIC OUTPUTS
Africa is home to more than 15 percent of the world’s population,
yet it
produces less than 1.5 percent of the world’s scientific knowledge
– as
measured by articles published in peer-reviewed international
journals. The
irony in Africa is this: to help the continent’s most
marginalized
communities requires investments in the continent’s most
successful
citizens. The challenge necessitates a balanced strategy that
addresses
immediate social and economic needs while building Africa’s
capacities in
STI. Despite the challenges ahead, Africa will not succeed
over the
long-term unless it finds a way to do both. The continent produces
even
fewer of the world’s patents, a measure of innovation that is
virtually
absent of African participation (see table below).
Patents for inventions by US Patent Office
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Country | | Percent of world
total |
| | US Patents
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | (avg 2003-07)
| |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|South Africa | 98.0 |
0.06063 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Egypt | 6.6 |
0.00408 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Kenya | 4.8 |
0.00297 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Morocco | 1.4 |
0.00087 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Zimbabwe | 1.0 |
0.00062 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Nigeria | 1.0 |
0.00062 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Tunisia | 0.8 |
0.00049 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Seychelles | 0.4 |
0.00025 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Algeria | 0.4 |
0.00025 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Gabon | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Benin | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Côte d'Ivoire | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Ghana | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Ethiopia | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Tanzania | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Cameroon | 0.2 |
0.00012 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
|Total (16 countries) | 115.8 |
0.07164 |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
| |
| |
|-------------------------+------------------
+---------------------------|
Some of the factors for low scientific output can be associated
with the
weak links that exists between industry and universities.
Furthermore, the
African private sector does not have a culture of investing in R&D
nor in
placing contracts with public sector research institutions or
universities.
As a result technology generally comes from abroad in packaged
forms
excluding even the possibility of adaptive R&D. To some extent
local
branches of multinational companies place contracts with
research
institutions and universities but these are tiny drops in the
scientific
ocean in relation to total R&D budgets and are often one-off
investments
with limited repeat possibilities.
Research that provides commercial avenues hardly exists and
furthermore, a
lack of relevant skills training for African researchers is often
cited as
a barrier to research commercialization. These aspects of
building
scientific capacity into viable marketable products were
discussed and
recommendations made by African scientists during the ECA and
AU-led
Science with Africa Conference held from 3-7 March 2008 in Addis
Ababa,
Ethiopia.
Consequently, ECA and RTI believe that a series of measures are
possible to
create a dynamic innovation system including support for the
creation and
development of innovative, small and medium sized firms, through
strategies
that would include use of incubators and technology parks, use of
public
procurement for innovation, and stimulation of the emergence of a
venture
capital sector.
3.AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE AFRICAN SCIENCE TO BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The major aim of the African Science to Business Challenge is to
generate
productive impact of research through translation into
sustainable
products, processes and services. In so doing, this initiative also
aims to
provide awareness amongst African researchers as a means of equipping
them
with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to bring research-
based
ideas, inventions and innovations to market.
Specific aims are:
1. Provide African scientists and researchers with an
understanding of
commercialization know-how, as well as the technical aspects
(such as
financial management, intellectual property, project management and
market
research);
2. Build strong, ongoing connections between researchers and
research
institutions with industry and investors who can help to bring
ideas,
inventions and innovations to market, or otherwise into
economically
productive use;
3. Bring research and outputs to the market, or into productive usage,
in a
timely and effective manner to yield tangible benefits from that
research
and ensure that it contributes to the economy and the broader community.
4.2009 CATEGORIES
The following fields will be considered for this inaugural challenge:
Biomedical Engineering, which integrates physical, chemical,
mathematical,
and computational sciences and engineering principles for the
study of
biology, medicine, behavior and health. It advances fundamental
concepts,
creates knowledge from the molecular to the organ systems
levels, and
develops innovative biology, materials, processes, implants,
devices, and
informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of
disease, for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health,
Therefore,
this category focuses on the development of new devices,
algorithms,
processes and systems that advance biology and medicine and improve
medical
practice and health care delivery. For example a marketable
system or
device that improves health communication or a system for electronic
health
records.
Water Quality is central to the human rights and personal dignity of
every
human being. Yet there are currently over one billion people in the
world
lacking safe water and over two billion without adequate sanitation.
Nearly
80% of those without safe water are concentrated in just three
regions –
East and South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa and coverage rates
in Sub
Saharan Africa are the lowest with just 56% of people with access to
safe
water. Dirty water is often the cause of ordinary childhood
diarrhoea, a
leading killer of African children and lack of clean water and
sanitation
leads to a wide range of potential diseases. These include
cholera,
typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, filariasis, river blindness,
sleeping
sickness, guinea worm, bilharzia, trachoma, scabies and more.
Consequently,
this category will focus on marketable and innovative approaches to
the use
of biotechnology and development in nanotechnology for water
purification,
wastewater treatment and desalinization by African scientists with a
focus
on adaptation and appropriate applications of new
technologies for
delivering safe water for Africa, particularly in rural areas.
5. ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility criteria are that submissions must be from
African
researchers and research institutions:
1) An individual researcher sponsored by his/her
organization or
government, and/or
2) A reputable research institution or university
Applications are especially encouraged from female researchers.
5.CONDITIONS FOR ENTRY
ECA and RTI have the right to reproduce and transmit in any
media, for
non-commercial purposes, the work that has been selected for the
challenge.
ECA and RTI have the right to cancel the Awards at any time,
when the
selected entities and organizations are found ineligible or do not
fulfill
the criteria laid down for the award.
Click here to submit your entry online.
Else send the following details by email to: asbc at uneca.org
The name and country of the institution and individual undertaking
research;
Title and abstract of the research;
Full description of the research programme;
1-2 pages outline of why and how the research has commercialization
potential;
All entries in a language other than French and English must have
translation and/or transcription included in the submission.
Submissions should not disclose Confidential Information.
A FULLY COMPLETED FORM WITH A FULL DESCIPTION OF THE RESEARCH MUST
ACCOMPANY EACH SUBMISSION - OTHERWISE THE ENTRY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Closing date for the first 2009 the African Science to Business
Challenge
is extended to 30th September 2009
Submission addressed to:
ASBC Team
ICTs, Science and Technology Division (ISTD)
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
5th Floor, ECA Building, ECA, PO Box 3001, Menelik II Avenue
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Email: asbc at uneca.org
Website: http://www.uneca.org/sciencewithafrica/asbc.html
7. THE SELECTION PROCESS
ECA and RTI will form a pre-selection Committee to examine the submitted
proposals subject to their formal compliance with the objectives and
criteria of the Challenge scheme (e.g. completeness of information,
subject
matter, etc.) and select the proposals to be sent to the International
Jury.
8. JUDGING
A Panel of Judges composed of prominent African and US scientists will
preside over the review process to select the winner. Judging will be
based
on the entries screened initially by ECA and RTI, and the winner will
be in
the opinion of the Judges, a significant research with potential for
marketability and commercialization.
9. WINNER OF THE AFRICAN SCIENCE TO BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The winner of the African Science to Business Challenge will be
sponsored
by RTI to travel to its headquarters, situated in Research Triangle
Park,
North Carolina, USA to learn about developing the award-winning project
into a viable business.
10. THE CHALLENGE PARTNERS
RTI International - www.rti.org
Established in 1958 through a collaboration between leaders in
state
government, higher education, and business, the Research Triangle
Institute
(today kown as RTI International) is the founding tenant of
Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina. The Triangle is defined by
outstanding
universities in the Triangle's three cities: North Carolina
State
University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, the University of
North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina Central University in
Durham.
Today RTI International is one of the world's leading research
institutes,
dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge
into
practice. An independent, nonprofit research organization, RTI has
more
than 3,800 professionals providing research and technical
services to
governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of
health
and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and
statistics,
advanced technology, international development, economic and social
policy,
energy, and the environment. RTI’s activities both mirror and
support
national priorities and policies as well as diverse commercial,
industrial,
and academic endeavors. For instance, as public and government
interest in
environmental protection grew in the 1960s, so did related programs at
RTI,
building on its expertise in statistical, physical, and life sciences.
More
recently, RTI has expanded its contributions in global health, working
with
industry to bring promising new products to market.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) www.uneca.org
Established in 1958, ECA is the first pan-African regional institution
with
the mandate of facilitating socio-economic development and
promoting
regional integration on the continent. Although it is a United
Nations
agency, its formation, basis, orientation, focus, and mandate are
purely
pan-African in nature. ECA’s niche in catalyzing Africa’s development
is in
the areas of research and knowledge production; policy
articulation,
analysis and development; programme development,
implementation and
execution and by extension, technical assistance and advisory
services to
the regional political institutions of the African Union and the
RECs, and
member-states.
In its fifty years of existence, ECA has made remarkable
interventions and
contributions to the African development project in several
respects. ECA
has assisted in establishing key regional institutions-financial,
training,
policy and research. ECA identified the need for a development
financing
mechanism that will support infrastructure, trade and private
investment in
Africa and thus advocated for the establishment of the AfDB.
Similarly, the
formation of the regional economic communities was the by-product of
ECA’s
applied research and policy generation, which anchor
Africa’s
intra-regional trade and regional integration using a
decentralized
sub-regional approach. Further ECA facilitated the creation of
other
specialized institutions in the area of cartography, mapping and
remote
sensing, engineering and industrial technology, economic and
social
development finance and trade, minerals and transport
Thierry H. Amoussougbo
Regional Advisor, ICT Initiatives
ICT, Science & Technology Division (ISTD)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
Tel: 251 11 5443053
Fax: 251 11 5510512
E-mail : tamoussougbo at uneca.org
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