European Patent Office: “European Inventor Award 2010 The imagination and the genius to the service of technological and industrial development: the European Patent Office (EPO) identified the nominees for the European Inventor Award 2010 out of a large number of candidates from EU countries and from the U.S., Switzerland, and Canada. The most “unusual” inventions regard ‘green plastic’, internet access straight from a wall socket, the civilian use of GPS, the mobile use of fuel cells, and the synthesis of football-shaped carbon molecules. States a note by the Commission: “The award honors individual inventors, or teams of inventors, who, through their pioneering work, respond to the challenges of our time, thereby contributing to progress and prosperity”. The winners will be chosen by a high-ranking international jury in four categories: Lifetime achievement; SMEs/research; Industry; Non-European countries. EPO President Alison Brimelow will present the winners with their prizes on 28 April 2010 in Madrid. Brimelow explained, “”The core task of the patent system is to support innovation through the effective protection of inventions. We must seek to maintain and strengthen the performance of the system to ensure the patent-based diffusion of pioneering technologies into the future”. Previous winners include Adolf Goetzberger, the father of solar-power generation (2009), Peter Grünberg, Nobel Laureate in Physics (2006), AIDS researcher Erik De Clercq (2008) and Federico Faggin, the inventor of the microprocessor (2006). EU investsments in Africa: energy, transportation and water Large-scale energy, hydroelectric schemes, roads and railways are some of the grant operations approved by the by the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund that add to the 8 projects already approved. A few days ago the European Commission, the main contributor to the Fund, increased its participation by 200 million for 11 projects in the area of energy, transport and ICTs. “Total grant resources of 372 million have been provided to the Fund since its launch and could leverage up to 5 billion in loans from European or international development financial institutions and the private sector”. “Regional integration is a key part of the recipe for a successful sustainable development of Africa. I intend to keep it high on the EU agenda: as Europe experience shows, no regional markets in Africa, no growth” stated Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for development”. The projects approved include the hydroelectric plant of Felou in West Africa, the the Benin-Togo interconnection and the Caprivi (Namibia-Zambia) interconnection, and other projects in Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Guinea and Ethiopia.Research: new funds to fight influenza The so-called “new influenza” (A/H1N1) is still in the limelight, and the Commission announced the results of its 18 million call for proposals for new research projects on influenza. On March 9 EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn presented four collaborative research projects that have been shortlisted for funding. They involve 52 research institutes and SMEs from 18 European countries and 3 international partners (Israel, China, the United States). “Influenza virus genes migrate across continents and between species and seriously threaten both human and animal health”. “Two consortia will focus their research on influenza in pigs while the two others will develop innovative drugs against influenza in humans”. Their selection is part “of the EU’s longstanding support for research on influenza” and brings the total Commission funding in this field to over 100 million since 2001. Geoghegan-Quinn ha spiegato: “Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: “Seasonal flu alone can kill 250,000 – 500,000 people worldwide every year and EU-funded research projects like these can help save lives. What is more, successful EU research in preventing and treating flu.
