Innovations for Africa

In Berlin in early May 2018, German Federal Minister of Research Anja Karliczek bestowed the German-African Innovation Incentive Award on a woman scientist from Uganda as well as three of her male colleagues from Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria – together with their German cooperation partners – in recognition of their outstanding research achievements. The award-winning projects addressed innovative solutions for various aspects of life. A novel multimedia application for mobile phones, for example, improves health-related information for pregnant women in rural areas, and that includes illiterate women. In another project, manioc husks, otherwise treated as waste in Africa, are processed to create new, high-grade technology products, including construction materials. The German-Egyptian cooperation focussed on new energy supply systems for buildings that lower the air-conditioning inputs required. And the problem that in Africa high post-harvest losses often arise owing to improper storage of grain can now be solved thanks to a new grain storage technology that can also be used by local start-ups. Each prize was worth EUR 150,000 and is awarded in the form of project funding for collaborative German-African projects.

Part of the Africa Strategy

On the occasion of the awards ceremony, Federal Minister Anja Karliczek said that “the German-African Innovation Incentive Award is a measure that forms part of our Africa Strategy, which the Federal Ministry of Education and Research has launched to support science, research and development in Africa.” She continued that “I am delighted that today we are able to bestow the awards on such promising talents and projects. The winners are courageously making inroads with their joint projects that create innovative solutions for Africa and offer people there new prospects. We are gathered here today in recognition of their scientific achievements and to help promote sustainable development on the African continent. Because we feel it is important, and this is a core objective of our Africa Strategy, to support scientists of both genders in their research. This is why we will be bestowing the awards in coming years, too, as we wish to continue to provide important stimuli for German-African cooperation and innovations in Africa.”