For the 300 plus entrants in the 2002 edition of the Prime Ministers Awards for Innovation & Invention, the suspense was broken on Tuesday 14th January 2003 with the announcement of winners at a gala function held at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre. Winners were honoured in three categories: Individuals, Company and Lifetime Achievement.
In his address, the Honourable Danny Montano, Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and Minister with responsibility for NIHERST, noted that; "It is a culture of innovation that will catalyze the transformation of our society." He encouraged NIHERST, administrator of the Individual Awards, to continue its outreach activities in science popularisation into far-flung areas of Trinidad and Tobago, and to specifically to capture and develop the raw talents of the "grassroots/home inventors".
To the large number of inventors, students, teachers and parents gathered, he issued the challenge for a paradigm shift in teaching towards new methods that motivate and inspire learning so as to ensure that "no one is left behind". Minister Montano made the poignant statement for the youngsters that "working well at what one enjoys, may realise eventually great value, when one becomes very good at what one enjoys". Placing this in the global context, the Minister reminded the large gathering that outputs must be judged against international standards, and that to compete at that level, upgrades in our educational system and a greater emphasis on Science and Technology were vital.
Individual awards were presented to the winners of the Bright Solutions contest, and the Junior and Senior Innovator/Inventor age categories.
The Bright Solutions contest was a new addition to the Awards. It encouraged youngsters aged 7 to 17 years to develop creative solutions to everyday problems in the following areas: Water, Food, the Environment, Health, Security, Road Safety, and the Design of Children-friendly Buildings. Prizes in this category were valued at over $25,000.
Junior Innovators and Inventors competed for awards which totaled over $60,000 in value. Prizes were presented in three age categories: 11 to 12 years, 13 to 14 years and 15 to 17 years. With prototypes ranging from "The Toothpaste Dispenser" for the disabled, to "Teen Temptation" a board game that steers youngsters away from adolescent perils and pitfalls, to "Hang-a-Line" a creative method of hanging out laundry where space is a limitation, youngsters demonstrated in a tangible way the abundant creativity of our nation's youth.
In the Senior category, there was a great diversity in entries and keen competition which also attested to the abundance of local inventive talent. Prizes amounting to over $230,000 were awarded in the categories of Artistic Process, Electrical Devices, Furniture and Design, Games, Machinery, Mechanical Devices, Indigenous Materials, Simple/Useful Devices and Waste Material categories.
The audience of over 600 guests was treated to an actual live demonstration of an innovation, with the performance of Ms. Sabina Allard and her group 'Los Dinamicos'. Ms. Allard collected the First Prize in the Artistic Process category for her "Redesigning the Shape of the Cuatro, Maracas and Toc-Toc".
Four inventors received a great surprise at the evening ceremony, with the presentation of Special Awards of Merit for Innovation. They were as follows:
- Dr. Anthony Achong for Innovation in the Science of Pan
- Dr. Stephan Gift for Innovation in the field of Electronics
- Mr. Buddie Miller for Diversity in Innovations
- Ms. Dolly Nicholas for Innovation in the field of Chemistry.
The Prime Minister's Awards for Innovation and Invention initiative has attracted international interest from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and countries around the world. The scheme 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.
Junior Category (11-12 years)
- 1st Prize
- Andrew Poon King
- 2nd Prize
- Gabriel Balgobin
- Special Prize
- Shawnaleigh Joseph
- Mentor 1st Prize
- Peter Poon King
- Mentor 2nd Prize
- Ramdeo Balgobin
- Mentor Special Prize
- Madeline Joseph
Junior Category (13-14 years)
- 1st Prize
- Rochele Ramlal
- 2nd Prize
- Keturah Emilaire
- Special Prize
- Rebecca Balgobin
- Mentor 1st Prize
- Sintra Ramlal
- Mentor Special Prize
- Ronald Aguilar
- Mentor Special Prize
- Ramdeo Balgobin
Junior Category (15-17 years)
- 1st Prize
- Marisela Aguilar
- 2nd Prize
- Kristy Sebro
- Special Prize
- Charlene Noel-Baisden
- Special Prize
- Naila Edghill-Yohance
- Rhonda John
- Melissa Charles
- Amanda Gooptar
- Aisha Burgess
- Vivian Cumberbatch
- Mentor 1st Prize
- Ronald Aguilar
- Mentor 2nd Prize
- Lawrence Stewart
- Mentor Special Prize
- Caroline Corentin
- Mentor Special Prize
- Joanne Murrel
- School With Most Entries
- Holy Cross College, Arima
- Mentor With Most Entries
- Hansley Nowbut
Brighter Solutions (Under 13 years)
- 1st Prize
- Shazanna Khan
- Kerala Saugh
- Kerlina Gopaul
- Varsha Maharaj
- Franches Que Manickchand
- Mentor 1st Prize
- Joel Dowlath
Brighter Solutions (13-17 years)
- First Prize
- Danielle Modeste
- Veena Geeban
- Second Prize
- Sulaiman Barton
- Special Prize
- Katrina Geetooah
- Special Prize
- Krystal Bachan
- Liana Jaikissoon
- Ambay Ramkellawan
- Ria Ramadoo
- Parbattee Koolajan
- Krystle Gallai
- Mentor 1st Prize
- Anderson Gordon
- Mentor 2nd Prize
- Ishaq Mohammed
- Mentor Special Prize
- Zakee Abdullah
- Mentor Special Prize
- Sandra Maharaj-Gangoo
Senior Category
- Artistic Process
- 1st Prize
- Sabina Allard
- Artistic Process
- 2nd Prize
- Richard Douglas
- Cynthia Douglas
- Electrical Devices
- 1st Prize
- Clifton Lawrence
- Furniture & Design
- Special Prize
- Anthony Cummings
- Faizee Sisaran
- Gene Lashley
- Games
- 1st Prize
- Noel Kalicharan
- 2nd Prize
- George Amow
- Indigenous Materials
- Sajjad Hamid
- Machinery
- 1st Prize
- Everest Aaron
- 2nd Prize
- John Simon
- Evans Ambrose
- Special Prize
- Martin Lee John
- Aeshvar Mahabirsingh
- Govind Boochoon
- Special Award of Merit for Innovation in the Science of Pan
- Anthony Achong
- Special Award of Merit for Innovation in the field of Electronics
- Stephan Gift
- Special Award of Merit for Diversity in Innovations
- Buddie Miller
- Special Award of Merit for Innovation in the field of Chemistry
- Dolly Nicholas
- NIHERST President's Special Award
- Leslie Eley
- Waste Material
- 1st Prize
- Jefferson Cole
- 2nd Prize
- Lennox Louis
- Deosaran Persad
- Special Prize
- Rondell Charles
- Simple/Useful Devices
- Special Prize
- Ronald Aguilar
- Michelle Amoroso
- Manmohan Boodoo
- Aftab Ibrahim
- Buddie Miller
Company Awards (Large Category)
- Product Innovation
- The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited
- Process Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing Technology
- Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited
- Human Resource Development
- Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre
- Health, Safety and Environmental Technology
- British Gas Trinidad and Tobago Limited
- Most "Innovative Company of the Year"
- Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited
Company Awards (Small/Medium Category)
- Product Innovation
- Saffire Engineering Limited
- Process Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing Technology
- CMB Packaging Trinidad Limited
- Human Resource Development
- No Winner
- Health, Safety and Environmental Technology
- No Winner
- Most "Innovative Company of the Year"
- Saffire Engineering Limited
Lifetime Achievement Award Energy and Energy-Based Sector
- Professor Kenneth S. Julien