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Prime Minister’s Awards For Innovation and Invention 2004
For the many entrants in the 2004 Prime Minister’s Awards
for Innovation and Invention the suspense was broken on Tuesday 21st
September, 2004, with the announcement of winners at a gala function held at
the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre. Winners were honoured in two
categories: Individual Innovators and Inventors Awards, and the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
In his address, the Honourable Colm Imbert, Minister of
Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and Minister with responsibility
for NIHERST, summed up the essence of innovation as the “unlimited capacity
of the human mind and the human spirit to break through previous boundaries,
create new realities and possibilities for the human race”. The acting Prime
Minister Senator Dr. the Honourable Lenny Saith also supported these
statements, in his feature address to the many guests.
To the large numbers of inventors, students, teachers and
parents gathered, Dr. Saith emphasised the critical role of science,
technology and innovation in national development and the importance of
creating a culture of creativity and innovation. He went on to state that a
modern and flexible science education base is a major objective of the
government.
The selection of entertainment for the evening elaborated
the importance of creativity and the diverse forms that it takes. The
inspirational interpretative dance entitled “Move 21” performed by the La
Chapelle Dance Company demonstrated creativity in motion. The
thought-provoking dramatic skit performed by the Bagasse Company underscored
that no group in society had the monopoly to creativity and that the world
has benefited from inventions created by peoples from all walks of life.
Successful inventions tend to be needs-driven. Wendy Sheppard and Wendell
Constantine performed a superb and moving rendition of “Phantom of the
Opera” and “All I Ask of You”, which highlighted the diversity of creative
talent in our small twin-island republic.
The highlight of the evening was of course the
presentation of prizes. The Individual Innovators and Inventors Award scheme
was broken down into several sub-categories and prizes were awarded
accordingly.
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Junior (ages
7-17) division, where innovators and inventors entered various prototypes
ranging from “Scrabraille” for the visually impaired, to “Scilicet” for the
scientific minds.
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Senior (ages 18 and over)
division, where there was a great diversity in entries and keen competition
which also attested to the abundance of local inventive talent. Prizes were
awarded in the categories of :
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Devices
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Mechanical
Engineering
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Chemical
Engineering
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Furniture and
Design
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Natural Gas
Engineering
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Auto-Mechanics
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Use of
Indigenous/Waste Material
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Pan
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Health, Safety
and Environment
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Education/Educational Games
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Games, Toys and
Sporting Devices
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The
Bright Solutions category,
which also had a junior and senior component, encouraged entrants to develop
creative solutions to everyday problems. They were however not required to
construct a prototype.
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The
Lifetime Achievement Award
is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the
development and/or promotion of Innovation and Invention for two decades or
more. This year’s awards focussed on the Manufacturing Sector and Dr.
Anthony Saga emerged the overall winner.
The Prime Minister’s Awards for Innovation and Invention
has attracted interest around the world and is helping to strengthen
scientific ties with other countries, as well as to promote public awareness
of the importance of technological creativity as a vehicle for national
development, and to stimulate the development of a scientific culture.
View the
2004 Winners' List here
View the 2002 Winners' List here
View the 2000 Winners'
List here
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