Global Innovation Award finalists announced

A selection committee of innovation experts from academia and policy agreed on a list of three finalists to compete for first prize of the competition. The finalists from South Africa are Mellowcabs and Solar Plus Energy Investments Ltd; and the finalist from Nigeria is SpellAfrica Nigeria.

Neil du Preez’s Mellowcabs manufactures and operates new electric mini-cabs that provide an on-demand and affordable taxi service in cities. The second finalist from South Africa, Solar Plus Energy Investments (Pty), co-founded by Jonathan Miller, installs solar water heating systems and bills consumers monthly, enabling homeowners to reduce electricity usage and save money. The third finalist is SpellAfrica Nigeria. Elvis Austins’ company designs innovative mobile learning tools aiming to help young people in Africa to improve their English skills.

The Global Innovation Award, supported by ESASTAP Plus, aims to recognise the most innovative start-ups outside the EU that bring new technologies, products or services to the market. The finalists will present their companies on 7 October 2014 at the Technische Universität Berlin during The Innovation Connection, the 2014 Science|Business Summit that will bring together leaders from research, industry and policy to debate how to best unleash Europe’s technological potential. At the same event, Science|Business will present nine finalists for the Academic Enterprise Awards (ACES), a programme created in 2008 to celebrate spin-outs from universities and public research institutes in Europe. The ACES winners will be selected at the event by the Science|Business Innovation Board.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

ESASTAP Plus aims to support cooperation between South African and the EU in science, technology and innovation. ESASTAP Plus is funded under the 7th Framework Programme. For more information, see www.esastap.org.za

The Science|Business Innovation Board is a non-profit scientific association formed to improve the climate for innovation. Its members are some of Europe’s leading innovators, in industry, academia and policy. They meet regularly with key EU and national officials to discuss important aspects of innovation policy. They commission policy research from leading academics. They support Europe’s best university spin-outs with annual prizes. And they speak and write regularly on the results of their work – all with the intent to broaden and deepen the policy debate in Europe over innovation. The Board is a source of new ideas, backed by deep personal experience, to sharpen Europe’s innovation agenda.