Siemens Stiftung "Empowering People. Award" - Indian Finalist Among 23 Shortlised From 90 Countries
The Siemens Stiftung organized an international competition to find simple but intelligent technological solutions with the capacity to sustainably improve the lives of people in developing countries. The international jury will announce the top three winners at the Award Ceremony in Nairobi.
- (1888PressRelease) September 18, 2013 - India - SMSGYAN is one of the 23 finalists that have made it from a total of 800 entries from 90 countries! Attached is a note on the India finalist and a grapgh that indicates that India is among top 3 in terms of participation.
SMSGYAN - Information & Communication (India)
Internet-based information offline via SMS. Mobile phone owners without Internet access send their enquiry via SMS to a central number. The system checks the WorldWideWeb for appropriate information and returns relevant results in a reduced format via SMS. One enquiry costs 1 euro-cent; the monthly flat rate is 0.30 Euros.
Online platform to exhibit submitted solutions from around the world and to connect stakeholders. The online community also has the opportunity to select its favourite entry from among the 23 finalists as of now.
They will receive prize money of 100,000 EUR in total. From now until October 21st, anyone can take part in the online voting and choose their personal favourite for the special community prize. As a next step, an online platform will be developed to bring together inventors and users of the technical solutions and put them into contact with potential investors and multipliers. The Siemens Stiftung and its cooperation partners will take an active role in this venture.
The criteria used by the international jury of experts to evaluate over 800 submissions from 90 countries were not only technical quality and environmental aspects but also the economic and social potential of the respective inventions.
"The entries on our shortlist illustrate in an impressive manner how simple technical solutions can dramatically change living conditions for the better. They provide access to water, energy, health, education and communication in a practicable and cost-efficient manner.
They also create opportunities for the establishment of small businesses, new ways of generating income and improvements in daily life", explains Rolf Huber,
Managing Director of the Siemens Stiftung. "We will therefore support the further development of selected technical solutions and we hope that partners from around the world will join us in this initiative."
The Siemens Stiftung is currently setting up a database in which all the submitted technological solutions which have been classified by experts as best-practice solutions will be published. Developers and users of interesting products and solutions as well as potential investors and development organizations are to benefit from this database by receiving information about useful applications and technical possibilities as well as about varied experiences in implementation on site.
Rolf Huber: "We are convinced that transparency, partnership-based collaboration and knowledge transfer are key requirements for a targeted improvement of living conditions. By launching the "empowering people. Award", we have already been able to set up a network connecting interested persons around the world with important players in development cooperation to form an active community. Everyone can cast a vote online for the community prize as of now."
The Prize Winners will be honoured at the Award Ceremony, which will be held in Nairobi on October 30st 2013. The first three winners will receive 50,000, 30,000 and 20,000 Euros respectively. 20 further finalists will each receive 5,000 Euros each.
As part of the Award Ceremony, a workshop will be held together with the
Social Impact Development Group, an initiative of the Siemens Stiftung and Ashoka. In this workshop, the inventors will have the opportunity to discuss their inventions with social entrepreneurs and to further develop their own business approaches.
A vote can now be cast for the community prize at www.empowering-people-award.siemens-stiftung.org. The winner will receive freely selectable technical equipment to the value of 3,000 Euros for his or her project.
The finalists are as follows:
BioGas Backpack
Portable biogas container. The backpack is suitable for transporting biogas, for example, from central biogas production facilities into households or for sales purposes. The backpack is a balloon with inner layers of gas-tight material and is filled by means of simple pressure equalization. The backpack currently costs 12.25 Euros.
ElectroChemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR)
Water purification. Here, an electrolysis process is used to extract toxic arsenic (III) from drinking water. This process converts arsenic (III) into arsenic (IV) ions which can be reliably filtered from the water. The energy requirement is approx. 0.05 kWh per cubic metre of water.
Eliodomestico
Water distillation with solar energy. Developed for the water requirements of households, the water distiller makes it possible to purify brackish and salt water. All parts can be manufactured by hand from clay and metal; filters are not required. The costs of the prototype are approx. 75 USD.
Fish Farm
Micro-intensive fish farming for food security. The tanks, filters and pumps required for the fish farming are housed in a shipping container only twelve metres in length. This makes the system cost-effective; it is mobile, takes up little space and meets commercial requirements. Produces up to four tonnes of fish a year.
Jompy Water Boiler
All in one system: energy efficiency during cooking and water disinfection. Attached between the pots and the cooking area on an open fire, the water purifier makes it possible to heat water whilst cooking. The temperature reached destroys 98 percent of harmful germs. The costs of 30 USD are redeemed through saved fuel.
Leveraged freedom chair
All-terrain wheelchair. Consisting of bicycle parts, the wheelchair is driven via levers. Instead of dérailleur gears, which are temperamental on difficult terrain, the user achieves a 3:1 gear ratio just by moving the levers.
MakaPads - Sanitary Pads
Sanitary napkins help women and create jobs. The production from papyrus fibres, paper and water hardly needs any electrical energy. The heat of the sun takes care of the drying process; smoothing and compressing are carried out mechanically. The inserts are 75% cheaper than normal sanitary napkins and 100% biodegradable.
Mapeo de Napas con Georadar - Soil Research
Georadar for determining the groundwater table. The soil is examined with electromagnetic waves and a digital recording device at a depth of four to ten metres for water, salt, stone courses etc. Helps to safeguard crop yields irrespective of rainfall where groundwater can be accessed.
Mobile Solar Cellphone Charger
Mobile charging station. Folding solar modules (20 watt) are constructed with a lithium battery and charging units in such a way that they can be taken, for example, as a bicycle trailer to mobile phone users who do not have reliable access to electricity. Use as a franchise system is possible.
OneDollarGlasses
Glasses for less than one USD, which are even affordable for poor people with impaired vision. They consist of a lightweight, but extremely robust spring steel wire and two unbreakable plastic lenses. The frames are manufactured locally on a bending device specially designed for this purpose, which requires no power supply.
OpenIR - Democratizing Infrared Satellite Data
Web application for infrared satellite data. The geo-data is prepared and made available in the form of maps in such a way that they are comprehensive for everybody. In this way, for example, risk areas for floods can be determined or plans for land use created.
Pee Poo - Single-use toilet
Toilet bags for single-use. The bag contains urea to render pathogens harmless. Easy to use, it makes a contribution to hygiene and helps to keep the immediate surroundings clean. The costs per item are around 0.04 Euros; the bags are biodegradable.
Permafunnel
A small but useful invention for hand pumps. Consisting of food-grade plastic, the funnel can be installed during the production of the pumps or retrofitted. It prevents the wastage of precious drinking water, which is often up to 30%, and contamination due to unhygienic external funnels. The costs are around 10 USD.
ReMotion Knee
Polycentric knee prosthesis on a polymer basis. Designed for conditions in developing countries, the prosthesis makes it possible, for example, to work in the fields in kneeling or squatting positions. It is suitable for mass production, and its price of 80 USD is 10% of that of comparable prostheses.
River Ice - Cooling System
Cooling system with flowing water. A turbine in the river is connected directly to an open chiller, which cools durable polyethylene bags. The bags are filled with filtered water which freezes to ice and can be used, for example, to store fish or medicines. The costs are around 33% compared to conventional methods.
India PR contact:
Priyadarshini Pawar
Tel: 9594871112
priyadarshini ( @ ) cleapublicrelations dot com
www.cleapublicrelations.com
Press:
Vineeta Manglani
Sympra GmbH (GPRA)
Tel. +49 / 711 / 9 47 67-0
vineeta.manglani ( @ ) sympra dot de
Julia Rüter
Spokesperson / Head of Communications
Siemens Stiftung
Tel. +49 / 89 / 54 04 87-1 10
julia.rueter ( @ ) siemens-stiftung dot org
Project Management:
Carola Schwank
Siemens Stiftung
Tel. +49 / 91 31 / 9 20 79-10
carola.schwank ( @ ) siemens-stiftung dot org
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam