E-Lab from Anek technovation

Product Development lab in Bangalore offers a comprehensive range of services:

1) A fully equipped Electronics lab where you can conduct your experiments

2) Provides support & direction as per your need in design, development & marketing cycle which includes

• Design & development of your layout, PCBs
• Component procurement, PCB assembly & Testing
• Outer body design & development
• Proto building & Test marketing
• Market Launch

3) Guidance/mentoring by entrepreneurs who have the experience of building electronic products.

details : http://anekin.com/index.html

A Workshop on Systematic Innovation for Business Leaders -Discover your Innovation Sweet Spot

The workshop is jointly organized by Innomantra and SIT,Israel, on 13th May 2011 at The Leela Palace, Bangaluru.

This master class will introduce the SIT innovation methodology that has been proven and has helped hundreds of businesses turn innovation into their primary means of attaining necessary business goals and objectives, all the while raising personal employee motivation to innovate to new heights and elevating energy levels within the organisation as a whole.

 

SIT's method derives from the work of Genrich Altschuller, an engineer from the former Soviet Union. Through his exhaustive study of many thousands of patents, Altschuller came to see that creative solutions share common patterns, and, based on this insight, developed a methodology for generating innovative ideas. His method gained popularity in Israel in the 1970's, and served as the basis for SIT - Systematic Inventive Thinking.

For online Registration: http://www.innomantra.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/9-newsroom00002.html

Touchpad lighting control from AnekTechnovations, Bangalore

10 Most Impressive Transplants Ever Successfully Performed

Florine Church shared link to this informative post. Click:
http://www.uspharmd.com/blog/2011/10-most-impressive-transplants-ever-successfully-performed/

Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal bet on different Eupropean technologies

ULCOS (Ultra Low CO₂ Steelmaking) is the world's most ambitious R&D initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from steel production by developing new breakthrough technologies.Bothe Tata Steel and Arcelor Mittal are core partners in this consortium funded mostly by EU.

 

Tata Steel and Rio Tinto have signed a licensing  agreement to further support technological and commercial development of the  environmentally friendly direct iron smelting process called HIsarna™. HIsarna (an old Celtic word for iron) is a new technology under development by ULCOS. It is a highly energy efficient ironmaking process based on direct smelting of iron ore fines using a smelt cyclone in combination with a coal-based smelter. All process steps are directly hot-coupled, avoiding energy losses from intermediate treatment of materials and process gases. The HIsarna™ ironmaking process consists of  cyclone pre-reduction technology (CCF), owned by Tata Steel, and bath smelting  technology (HIsmelt) owned by Rio Tinto.   This combination offers excellent opportunities for the collection and  geological storage of CO2, the ability to utilise lower-cost raw  material feeds, and the prospect of energy savings through the elimination of  stages in the ironmaking process that are necessary today.  The technology has the long-term potential  to replace conventional blast furnaces, coke ovens and sinter plants and to  reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50% if combined with Carbon  Capture and Storage (CCS).

 ArcelorMittal is pursuing carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, transport and storage project in the Lorraine region. Following its capture, the CO2 will be transported in a buried pipe to be stored inside geological layers offering the properties and guarantees required for very long term confinement without risk for health or environment. The storage layers under study are saline aquifers at a depth of more than 1,000 meters.

Bloom Energy unveils its new fuel cell power system

Web page on Water Technologies added

Next world war could be for water? 

Many Innovators/ Researchers are working to avert water crisis.

On Indian Innovators Association web site, a page added sharing information on resources for `water technology'. Check

http://www.indianinnovatorsforum.org/Water-technologies.htm

Siemens Smart Grid Innovation Contest

The Siemens Smart Grid Innovation Contest focuses on new ideas. Follow these steps:

• Work on your idea, give your idea a clear title, choose one or more categories your idea belongs to (“demand response”, “microgrid”, “virtual powerplant”, “energy sinks / energy storage”, “electro-mobility”, “energy brokering” or “others” for any undefined category).
• Describe your idea in an understandable way in the fields provided (title of the idea, short description, key benefits).
• Add links or upload supporting material (e.g. business plan, drawing, photo) that helps to understand your idea and its potential. Illustrated ideas have been proven to attract far more visitors. If you have already applied for a patent regarding your idea, you need to upload the first page of the patent application.
• Choose tags for your idea and/or relate your idea to others.
• Preview and submit your idea (you can update your idea later taking other people’s feedback into account or add additional thoughts or pictures from your side).

last date 31st May 2011

German machine builders lose seven billions of euros due to Chinese product piracy

In March 2008, the Association of German Machine Builders (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbauer) complained of the notorious Chinese product piracy: “More than half of the German machine builders discover illegal replicas at exhibitions. Three quarters of these replicas come from China. Unfortunately, China’s entry into the WTO in 2001 has not improved the legal protection of intellectual property rights of foreign firms. The resulting loss of German mechanical engineering is about seven billions Euros per year. 

Now roll back the clock.

In 1897, the periodical American Machinist observed: “In going through the shops of a prominent German machine-tool builder who has been in the United States and got a good many ideas there from, as well bought a good line of the best standard machines from which to copy or vary, in the production of its own line, I notice that every solitary American machine, whether from Providence, New Haven, or Cincinnati, had had the name chipped off and the place painted over.”

 

Prof. Dr. Jochen Streb in his article ` Catching-up and Falling Behind. Knowledge Spillover from American to German Machine Tool Makers' brings these snippets to make the point imitation is common in catching-up.

 

Maternal Health and Nutrition open innovation challenge.

Scientists Without Borders recently announced three winning solutions in the $10,000 Scientists Without Borders Maternal Health and Nutrition open innovation challenge.   Folic acid deficiency in pregnant women is one of the leading preventable causes of birth defects and perinatal deaths, and this challenge sought innovative ways to incorporate folic acid into the diets of pregnant women in regions where staple food fortification is lacking.  The following three winning solutions were chosen by an independent advisory panel of nutrition experts and represent the best of the more than 60 potential solutions submitted from 21 different countries. 

Winning solution: Triple Fortified Salt, FA, Vit B6 and Vit B12

Affordable Health Innovations- World Health Care Congress

This global initiative brings together innovators and investors in affordable health care. There are 23 innovations listed under Hospitals and Health delivery, including 2 from HMRI, 1 from Life Spring Hospitals.

With 104 Mobile, remote rural populations are regularly visited by a network of 475 specially equipped Mobile Health Units (MHUs). 104 Mobile is a technology enabled, comprehensive, once a month Fixed Health Date Service for the rural poor located beyond three kilometers from any public health provider. Each MHU is equipped with the latest health care facilities and trained paramedical staff to conduct preliminary medical investigations and distribute medicines.

Telemedine is an innovative need-based cost-effective point of care technology offering comprehensive telemedicine solutions in rural India. Its aim is to reach the under-serviced rural populations through modules such as tele-ENT, tele-dermatology, tele-medical and surgical consult, tele-cardiology, tele-ophthalmology, rapid diagnosis of diabetes, etc. (HMRI) telemedicine service develops a point of care, user-friendly, cost-effective, integrated multi-functional device for rural telemedicine applications with emphasis on general physician functionality. 
LifeSpring Hospitals offers high quality maternal health care at an affordable price for low-income women and children in India LifeSpring Hospitals is an expanding chain of maternity hospitals that fills the void of high quality maternal healthcare for India’s lower income population. LifeSpring’s services are offered for 30 to 50 percent of prevailing market rates. The fee of a doctor’s consultation is Rs. 75 (US $1.60), and the all-inclusive price of a normal delivery in our general ward is between Rs. 2,000 to 4,000 (US $43 to $86).

Good, Bad, Ugly and Self Destructive features of TRAI recommendations to support Indian Telecom Manufacturing

Policy prescriptions can be classified as Good, Bad, Ugly or Self Destructive using Stephen J. Ezell and Robert D. Atkinson (WWW.ITIF.ORG) narration. When both India and trading partners are winners, then that policy is Good, Bad when both India and  the world lose, Ugly when only India wins and Self destructive when India loses but competing nations win.

Policy Recommendations- Good

•  Set up an International standard Testing and Certification Agency by way of converting TEC into an Autonomous Agency. 
• To remove the comparative tax disadvantage on domestic manufactured products. 
• The requirement for “provenness” be waived for domestic manufactured products provided  the product meets the requirement of quality, technical specifications and standards and are certified by the testing and certification organisation. 
• Ten telecom clusters be identified immediately. 
• A Telecom Research and Development Park should be established. 
• Set up Telecom Research and Development Fund(TRDF) . 
• Create a Telecom Manufacturing Fund(TMF) for providing venture capital to indigenous manufacturing.

Policy Recommendations- Bad

·         Subsidy for capital and working capital , deferring the payment of Excise/Sales Tax/VAT/GST, Income Tax holiday, exemption from countervailing duties,  Excise duty etc

Policy Recommendations- Ugly

·         Set up a second fab unit with government funding.

Policy Recommendations- Self Destructive

·         Preferential market access to domestic manufacturers in procurement by the Government and Government Licensees, with incentives and penalties.

What is your view?

TRAI recommends Telecom Research fund, Telecom research park and Telecom Manufacturing fund

After an exhaustive process of consultations, TRAI finalised its recommendations on need and measures to support Indian Telecom Manufacturers. Highlights:

• TRAI recommended preferential market access in public procurement from Indian  Manufactured Products and Indian products (Indian IP). For the year 2012-13 preferred access is targeted at 45% ( 30% for Indian manufactured products with min value addition of 25% and 10% for Indian Products) and this is binding on public sector units, MTNL, BSNL etc but also on Government Licensees. Well all service providers are licensees- will private players accept the recommendation?  If service providers do not meet the stipulated minimum, they need to deposit amount equal to 5% of short fall with either Telecom Research Fund or Telecom Manufacturing Fund. And if they exceed the minimum, they get refund from license fee in proportionate manner- if they exceed 20% i.e they procure 50% from India, then they get rebate of 20% on license fee for that year.
• All equipment manufacturers (less than 1000 crore turnover ) should get interest subsidy of 3% for Indian Manufactured product and 6% for Indian product. Another incentive is to defer taxes (excise/ sales tax etc) for a period of 5 years with nominal rate of interest and income tax holiday for 10 years.
•  TEC to be made an autonomous organization of international reputation for product testing and certification. Once certified , the tender condition of `provenness' to be waived off for 10% of tendered requirement.
• Telecom clusters to be identified and developed. Manufacturing units in the cluster to be provided subsidy at 4.5%
• Telecom Research Park to be set up with 1000 acres of land and 5000 crores of investment, 1000 incubating start-ups, by 2013. The work should begin by May 2011.
• Telecom Research and Development fund with a corpus of 10,000 crores. At 8%, the corpus would make available Rs 800 crores to support about 40 innovations every year.
• Government to provide 3000 crores to Telecom Manufacturing Fund and rest from other bodies.

Download report(241 pages): TRAI

Semiconductor Industry-benchmarking India

ISA -DIT report makes comparison of Indian Semiconductor industry (VLSI design, embedded software development and hardware/board design) with that of US,UK, Germany, Sweden,China, Taiwan,Israel. First the good news, ranking is high on talent pool ( quantitative) with large number of engineers. Bad news is that we stand at the bottom in terms of quality of  scientific research institutes. Next comes the goals, no 1 goal is maintain leadership position in semiconductor design by incubating 50 fabless semi conductor companies. Since our own research institutes are not world class, then these 50 incubating firms need to source IP from globally best , accessible and available.

Can we expect that package of support from government for the start-ups would include this IP sourcing?

Biokitch innovator looking for business partner.

BIOKITCH is a highly compact one designed to be fit under the kitchen slab. The patented innovation by Rajesh, Kerala, won awards in all competitions- NIF, POI, DST-Lockhed Martin and is now shortlisted for Global Innovation Tournment 2011. globally products like naturemill are successful.
Contact :  RAJESH

http://in.linkedin.com/pub/tr-rajesh/20/738/455

raashettan.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/raashettan

http://www.facebook.com/people/Rajesh-Thekkala-Rajan/1808642064

World Design Impact Prize

World Design Impact Prize announced.Only members of ICSID can nominate the designers.Check for Indian members here.

A client is looking for genetically modified (GM) Indica Bt rice events that can be commercialized in India and offers $2,000 award for providing lead on such partner

A Client of Idea Connection  is looking for genetically modified (GM) Indica Bt rice events that can be commercialized in India. Pests such as rice stem borers and rice leaf folders cause considerable crop losses in India. Widespread cultivation of corn that has been genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins isolated from Bacillus thurigiensisi> (Bt) has reduced crop losses and increased crop yields in North America. The client would like to identify GM Bt Indica rice events that are stably expressed in Indica rice background and offer season-long resistance to rice stem borers.

$2,000 Award

For identifying a company that has one or more GM rice events and interested in licensing/partnering/commercializing these events in India. The GM event must meet all the following criteria:

1. One or more Bt genes in the construct;
2. Stable and season-long resistance to rice stem borers.
   (Resistance to yellow stem borer and India rice leaf folder would be a plus);
3. Sufficient efficacy based on bioassay data. The target insect survival rate should be no more than 8% during in vitro feed experiments. qRT-PCR and ELISA data must be provided as additional support for bioassay data;
4. Constitutive promoter is preferred. However, tissue specific promoters will be considered as well if sufficient efficacy is achieved in leaf, sheath and stem,
5. Freedom to operate;
6. No negative impact on yield or other agronomic parameters;
7. Adequate information to demonstrate product safety;
8. Expressed in Indica rice background, and
9. Single copy insertion that is stably inherited and expressed,

Smart Chinese buy patents of closed Americal plant in auction

HPM , founded in 1877, was for long the  lone American surviver of injection moulding .die-casting machines. At its peak over 1000 skilled people were employed, decline was clear by 2000 and formally shut down in 2009. Chinese firm Yizumi purchased the IP in auction for $325,000/- 
Read: Plastic News