President’s Excellence Award: Silicon Mountain Emerges Winner

The Grand Prize was handed to Zuo Bruno by the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation at the close of the 6th edition of JERSIC, Friday February 23.

(Cameroon Tribune) An enterprising application developer from the country’s biggest tech ecosystem, Silicon Mountain in Buea, has won the President’s Grand Prize (Gold) for Excellence in Scientific Research and Innovation. Zuo Bruno last Friday bagged a cash prize of FCFA 10 million at the close of the 6th edition of the Week of Excellence of Scientific

Research and Innovation (JERSIC). Nurtured and developed in Silicon Mountain, a play on Silicon Valley and Mount Cameroon, Zuo’s innovation addresses the problem of car theft or loss using SMS as a car security system feature. The innovation’s novelty is that it can function in places generally not covered by internet, Cameroon Tribune learned. Officials of the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation say the scientific innovation is capable of positively impacting the living conditions of Cameroonians. Also, the Special Prize for Innovation for Youth, worth FCFA 5 million, was awarded to the University of Dschang’s Center for Support towards Technology, Innovation and Incubation (CATI2). The Centre was commended for inventing and locally producing incubators for premature babies. Meanwhile, Anga Mukong Thadeus of Bamenda won the Prize for Valorisation. His innovation of fabricating table lamps from recycled materials from old radio and television sets earned him FCFA 3 million. Prizes were also awarded to laureates in other categories while there were special prizes from corporate institutions awarded to junior and senior researchers. While presiding at the closing ceremony of the 6th edition of JERSIC on behalf of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinte called on researchers to strive to develop the knowledge- based economy. She made public the engagement of the State in supporting researchers and contributing to making Cameroon an emerging economy by 2035. This year’s JERSIC was held under the theme: Scientific research and innovation: Strategic tools for enterprises and for socio-economic transformation.” The next edition will take place in 2019.

AMINDEH Blaise ATABONG