Social Innovation Exchange (SIX)

The Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) website now is online. It will enable members to upload information about their organisation; share projects, case studies and articles with the network; and engage in forums and discussions about social innovation around the world.Take a look .
want to make suggestions-
contact Sara Piteira ,
International Social Innovation eXchange Coordinator,
sara.piteira@youngfoundation.org

Global Mobile awards 2008

Global Mobile Awards 2008 included mCheck on Airtel for mobile payment.

This patent-pending solution allows customers to register credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts and link them to their mobile phone with a user-created 6-digit PIN. Users can pay their post-paid bills, prepaid recharge, or pay on behalf of others by sending a simple SMS and entering their PIN over a USSD session. This is a first of its kind service in the world. Sanjay Swamy, CEO, has an MS in Aeronautics from University of Washington, Seattle, a higher studies diploma in Avionics from France’s National Aerospace School (Sup-Aero) and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore.

Electrolux Deisgn Lab 2008

Electolux Design lab has been organising annual competitions for innovative daring ideas in home appliances , last years winers include , E wash from Hungary, Plastic decomposer from Taiwan, detergent free dishwasher from Germany. Last date for 208 awards May 2008. For details see: http://www.electrolux.com/designlab/

Scientific challenge from Barrick Gold Corporation

Barrick’s Unlock the Value program is a unique opportunity for scientific problem solvers, who can come with a new technology or process to increase silver recovery from the ore at their Veladero mine in Argentina. Scientists, engineers and inventors worldwide can submit proposals by April 30. For proposals that have merit, Barrick will fund additional research and for an innovation that is successfully implemented at Veladero, they will pay $10 million.

A presentation is planned on 25th February 2008 at New Delhi, Shangri-la Hotel.
Contact: Archana Mohan at archana.mohan@bm.com

Training in IP at NIIPM

The National Institute of Intellectual Property Management (NIIPM) is a Central Government Organization under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry engaged in conducting various Intellectual Property (IPR) training programs on Patents, Designs, Trademarks and Geographical Indications.The institute is conducting a 2 day and another a 5 day training programs on IP at Nagpaur. Two day program on fundamentals will be held on 25th &26th Febrraury ,fees Rs 500/- and for professionals a more intensive 5 day program will be held between 10th to 14th March, fees Rs 1250/-
Contact: Sri Pankaj Borkar, Patent Examiner, ph: 9224425777

The Tech Museum Awards

The Tech Museum Awards is currently seeking nominations for the 2008 Tech Awards for innovators from around the world who are using technology to benefit humanity. The Tech Awards is an international awards program honoring individuals and organizations that are applying technology to benefit humanity. Twenty-five Laureates will be honored at a Gala event in Silicon Valley, CA, and five Laureates will share a cash prize of $250,000 USD.The nomination deadline is March 24, 2008. Nominations may be submitted online at www.techawards.org. Self nominations are accepted and encouraged.

Contact person:
Amanda Reilly
Senior Manager
The Tech Museum Awards
The Tech Museum of Innovation
Direct 408.795.6338
areilly@thetech.org
www.techawards.org

seamless engineering education for the better employability of engineers

Third national convention on `seamless engineering education for the better employability of engineers, is organised by Engineering council of India on 28th February at Hyderabad. There is no registration fee, all those that feel strongly on quality of engineering education can attend.
Contact person:
Sri PN Shali, former Adviser & Consultant to Planning Commission, pnshali@gmail.com

Srijan Microfinance Business Plan Competition

Intellecap in partnership with Aavishkaar Goodwell and The Financial Express launched the Srijan Microfinance Business Plan Competition 2008 ( www.srijan2008.com ). Srijan (meaning creation in English) is a search for entrepreneurs, groups, individuals and microfinance institutions with innovative ideas and viable business models that aim at improving the sector and promoting financial inclusion of the poor. This annual business plan competition provides both start ups and established businesses an excellent opportunity to:

• Showcase innovative and dynamic ideas that can fuel the microfinance sector;
• Network with people who are not only interested in the sector, but also monitor and promote it;
• Gain the assistance of experts within the sector to further build upon their ideas;
• Build linkages to the investment community;
• Receive mentoring support from experts;
• Win cash awards.

Last date for registration is 15th March 2008.

Contact person:
T. Keyzom Ngodup
512, 5th Floor, Palm Spring, Link Road
Malad (W), Mumbai 400 064, India
Office: 91-22-3253 5292
Mobile: 91-98201 80909

icamp

icamp is a BarCamp for innovation. Anuradha Goel and Prof Murli Nagasundaram have sent me this mail introducing the camp.

Today the word innovation find its place everywhere, yet this is an inscrutable subject for many (perhaps all) of us when it comes to action. The contextual nomenclature of innovation in our industry can further generate several new ambiguous questions, such as,

- What is innovation for a software service company?

o How can one innovate?

o Should innovation be top-down?

o Where do we start from?

- Why innovation is highly visible in a product company?

o Is it because more opportunity in new product development?

- How about innovation in non IT companies, are they doing better?

The collective understanding of innovation in an organization, society or country is deceptive, and practicing innovation is not easy, some time impossible. However sharing our individual belief, experience, learning and failure may bring a new perspective about making innovation happen. And more unstructured the platform to talk, the better we may share.

We are organizing first innovation unconferencing, Icamp on 23^rd February 2008 in Bangalore.

See details at http://barcamp.org/icamp

MeritTrac

MeritTrac designs and delivers assessments to evaluate abilities, skills and knowledge for both corporate & individual customers. Since its inception in 2000, MeritTrac has assessed over 3 million candidates for over 150 clients across 75 cities pan-India for industry verticals like IT, BPO, BFSI, Engineering, FMCG, Healthcare, Retail, Education, and Manufacturing. MeritTrac is neither a Placement/Recruitment agency nor a Training firm, and is uniquely positioned as an "Independent" assessment company that provides quantitative inputs on the talent pool and helps in measuring competencies for specific roles. Its suite of scientifically designed assessments is used by corporate for pre-recruitment/employee assessments and by individuals for measuring their skills for employability.MeritTrac's expert test development team has generated over 100,000 questions across 300 areas spanning Communication Skills (English & other Indian Languages), General Abilities, Domains Skills (Technologies, Engineering, Accounting, etc.) and Psychometrics. All tests can be delivered in both online and offline modes under supervision. Online tests are delivered using OnTrac-a proprietary web-based testing engine...read news item

Technopark as Change agent in Kerala

Entrepreneurs and business people all over the world relied on Kerala youngsters to build business but native Kerala had seen little entrepreneurial activity. The picture could change in the coming years with success of Technopark unleashing entrepreneurial potential of the state. What is remarkable is presence of 100 home grown companies in the park.

Enthused by the success, the Left Democratic Front government has decided to set incubation centres in all engineering colleges and polytechnics. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the idea was to make entrepreneurship a part of the state’s culture,The government is also in the process of setting up Technoparks in different parts of the state. The chief minister said that almost all districts in the state would have IT parks of world standards within the next five years.“We have recognised that this ambitious goal can be achieved only with the active participation of budding entrepreneurs. The very success of Technopark is due to the presence of almost 100 home grown companies in the park”, he added.He said that the state getting ready to take advantage of its greatest asset; a rich talent pool of quality human resource. “We would create a favourable system within the state so that the new generation would get the best of opportunities in their homeland”, he added... read khaleej Times