Siemens launches sustainable development competition

Run by the company's charitable foundation, Siemens Stiftung, the competition calls for project entries from inventors, entrepreneurs and developer teams with technical products or solutions that can aid communities in combating basic supply problems. The main objective is to make these solutions more easily accessible so that individuals and the broader community can be empowered to make a positive global impact in the long term. According to Siemens, the project entries submitted for the award will be used to form the basis of a long term knowledge database that will generate direct interaction between the public and private sector, as well as the world of academia. "As a foundation active in projects extending basic services to those in need we are convinced that technological solutions are a key lever to sustainable development," said Ulrike Wahl, managing director of the Siemens Stiftung. "The database we want to build is geared equally to bringing inventors in touch with organisations funding their idea, as well as empowering inventors and practitioners to link up directly and thus speed up processes to tackle basic supply challenges." Project entries will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary and international judging panel, and the first prize winner will be honored at an awards ceremony in June 2013 with € 50,000 prize money. The deadline for entries is 31 December 2012.