Tunisia wins the first prize of the 1st International Championship of Invention and Scientific Research. It was awarded Thursday afternoon in Tunis by the Head of Government, Najla Bouden. And this, during the conference “Tunisia Ticad Innovation 2022”. This side event held on the sidelines of the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8).
The first prize in the inventor category goes to Basma Hadj Kacem. She is a university professor and researcher in the biotechnology center of Sfax. And this, for his invention of a pharmaceutical preparation with strong antihaemorrhagic power.
The second and third prizes went respectively to a team from Saudi Arabia for inventing an eye tilt identification tool, and to a Kuwaiti team for the invention of spacecraft based on IOT technology.
In the “researcher” category, the first prize is also awarded to a Tunisian team made up of five members. It crowns an image search application similar to the dysmorphic syndrome.
Indeed, “this application helps the doctor to make his diagnoses and to identify the disease”. This was declared by the representative of the winning team, Yosr Ghozi, doctoral researcher.
In addition, the second and third prizes, in this same category, go to Jordan for research relating to the design of low voltage integrated circuits; and nanotechnology applications in medicine.
Moreover, concerning the 3rd edition of the national invention competition, the Pasteur Institute of Tunis (1st rank), the Biotechnological Center (CB) of Sfax and the CB Borj Cedria received prizes.
Position yourself better in the context of technological upheavals
Prizes were also awarded to independent inventors. Thus, the first prize rewards a laureate who has invented a digital system for the voice warning of road drivers using infrared digital road signs.
The two other winners were rewarded for their inventions relating respectively to a propeller alternator that recharges the batteries of electric cars and to a waterproof stocking and fixator for leg prostheses.
“Africa, and especially African companies, especially SMEs and start-ups, should seize the opportunities of research and innovation to better position themselves in the context of technological upheavals”, underlined the Minister of Higher education and scientific research Moncef Boukthir, at the opening of the conference.
He added: “Africa must not miss out on the technological revolution as it did in the digital revolution. Indeed, Africa, like the developing countries, has suffered the full brunt of the digital divide because it has not prepared for it in advance”.
Tunisia has invested in human resources for decades, suggested the minister, stressing the need, in the future, to further enhance the results of research.
