The iHero Awards is the flagship project of innovationTOWN, a visionary initiative that seeks to change the way South Africans think about innovation.
By highlighting the accomplishments of South Africa's most innovative people, the aim is to inspire the country's public servants, businesses, non-profit organisations and entrepreneurs to use innovation as a tool to improve people's lives and create wealth for the nation. It also plans to showcase South African innovations to the world.
"South Africa is a country with a rich heritage of innovation. It is the home of the inventors of the CAT scan, the speed gun used in cricket ovals and on tennis courts to measure the speed and angles of speeding balls, and the dolosse, the concrete blocks used worldwide to protect harbour walls and coastal installations from waves,” says Taddy Blecher, co-founder innovationTOWN,.
"It is also the place where the world's first largest oil-from-coal refinery can be found, and where the first human heart transplant took place. To remain competitive in the global economy, South African business and government must build on this history and deliver even more innovation."
Although there are pockets of innovation in government and the private sector, South Africa needs to seize upon innovation as the main driving force of economic development as well as for service delivery to the poor, says Twiggs Xiphu group executive of SA Post Office. "Innovation creates jobs, develops products and services that improve people's lives, attracts foreign investment, and enhances our competitiveness on the global stage," adds Xiphu.
The past winners of the award highlight the fact that innovation can take many shapes, benefit a broad range of stakeholders, and be found anywhere from a lab in a university or the R&D division of a blue-chip company, through to a dusty rural village or a government office in a small town. Blecher who is also Group CEO of CIDA City Campus says, "Successful innovation isn't just about research or ideas. It's about applying knowledge, ideas and research findings in a real-life context to create new solutions to age-old problems. Successful innovation is also sustainable and empowering".
Some previous winners have included the South African Post Office, the South African Revenue Services, the Western Cape Department of Education, the South African Police Service, Sasol, Intelleca, African Pegmatite, CIDA City Campus and Daimler Chrysler. Celebrated entrepreneur, Richard Branson, will address the awards with a pre-recorded video message. The Branson School of Entrepreneurship is one of the backers of the event. innovationTOWN has secured a live satellite interview with Edward de Bono, leading world authority on lateral thinking, which will be broadcast from the event on 4
October and transmitted throughout the African continent.
There will also be a photo narrative exhibition on show at the event, based mostly on images taken by photographer George Mahashe. CNBC Africa will be onsite and together with innovationTOWN will profile some of SA's greatest innovations and innovators to the world.
* iHERO - South Africa's leading innovation or innovator.
* iSouth Africa - Celebrates everyday innovators who are improving the lives of others through innovative thinking, products, services or processes.
* iGovernment - Recognises innovative service delivery by government.
* iBusiness - Celebrates innovators or innovations within the corporate sector.
* iEntrepreneur - Celebrates innovation within small, medium, emerging and start up enterprises as well as entrepreneurial inventions and innovations.
* iSciTech - Celebrates scientific and technology breakthroughs with a strong community focus.
The awards will be just the beginning. From 4-7 October, an Innovation Faire will showcase all realms of South African innovation, spanning business, science and technology stands through to rural/community, cultural and social innovation exhibits.
Other events for the three days will include Knowledge Cafes on innovation, and conversations on women and innovation that will be held in conjunction with local woman's interest groups. There will also be an event with Dr John Demartini to host an Innovation Summit as part of a corporate social investment initiative in conjunction with under resourced schools and students from CIDA City Campus.
Date:
Thursday 4 October 2007
Time:
18h30 for 19h00
Venue:
Sci-Bono Discovery Centre Miriam Makeba Street, between President and Jeppe
Streets, Newtown, Johannesburg (please see map attached above and placed
below)
RSVP or contact for further details:
Leany Erasmus or 082 598 5963
For more information on innovationTOWN go to: www.innovationtown.co.za http://www.innovationtown.co.za/
