Ideassonline.org

The Award for the best innovations for human development, jointly organized by UNDP and EBN (the European Network of the Business Innovation Centers), was finalized on Friday 27 of June with the award to the winners, in occasion of the 17th EBN Congress in Budapest. Almost 400 people participated in the event, in representation of the Business Centers members of EBN, the European Commission, and the United Nations. The prizes were released by Mohand Cherifi (UNDP-Geneva), to the following innovations:

• 1st Prize: The Albergo Diffuso,
  submitted by BIC Lazio (Italy). Document
• 2nd Prize: The Solar Ice Fridge, submitted by Thesame Innovation Annecy (France). Document

The first prize will consist in a visit to the Dominican Republic LEDAs, in the framework of the UNDP ART GOLD Program. The second prize will consist in a visit to the Lebanese LEDAs, in the framework of the UNDP ART GOLD Program. The two winner innovations will be disseminated through the IDEASS network at the international level, and in all the countries where ART GOLD Programs are operating, to generate a transfer demand in the countries and with the interested actors.

The communication about the EBN - UNDP ART IDEASS Award on innovations has been officially sent out the all EBN Members and the deadline for application has been set on May 15. Guidelines & application form, and description of the Award are available on the following webpage:

http://www.ebnbudapest2008.net/DisplayPage.aspx?pid=60

The Award is part of the agreement signed in January 2008 between EBN – the European BIC (Business Innovation Centres) Network - the UNDP Hub for Innovative Partnerships and the ART Scientific Committee, within the ART Initiative framework. Currently, the EBN Network brings together over 200 BICs from all around Europe and beyond: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Morocco, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom.

The objective of the Award is to identify innovations which can be channeled through the IDEASS Programme.

The Scientific Committee of the IDEASS Award is composed by:

• Gustavo Lopez Ospina, Coordinator of the ART Scientific Committee
• Jasmina Lukovic Jaglic, Director of the Regional Agency for Economic Development of Sumadija and Pomoravlje, Serbia
• Christophe Bouvier, Director of UNEP’s Regional Office for Europe
• Sergio Boisier, Professor of the Pontificia Universidad Católica y de la Universidad de la frontera (Temuco) de Chile
• Marina Ponti, Europe Office Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign.

The prizes of the competition will be delivered during the EBN Annual Assembly which should be held in the month of June 2008 in Budapest, Hungary.