SA fish farm shortlisted for international award
Cape Town's Alan Fleming and his team from the Business Place Philippi were selected from over 800 entries for their entry, Fish Farm, into the "empowering people. Award" [sic] of the Siemens Stiftung.
The international competition aimed to identify the most promising technological solutions and products suitable to solving problems of basic supply in developing countries. The top three winners will be announced at the award ceremony on 30 October 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya and will receive a total prize money of €100,000.
With marine fish stocks depleting, the demand for sustainably produced, community-based fish continues to rise. On a global scale aquaculture is characterised by high investment, low employment and high technical skills and installations.
To help combat the problems in this area, the team devised an innovative fish farm. The solution is a patented micro-intensive fish farm designed within the confines of a 12m shipping container. It is able to deliver 2-4 tons of tilapia (or other species) per year. By placing a series of tanks, filters and pumps inside a container, the product immediately supplies an affordable, commercially viable, transportable, and replicable aquaculture business into poor urban or rural communities in affected regions. The technical complexity of the innovation can vary in the design, and features can be added on depending on local conditions.
Improving daily life
The Fish Farm is a simple and environmentally compatible way of ensuring food security, creating jobs and generating profits.
"The entries on our shortlist illustrate, in an impressive manner, how simple technical solutions can dramatically change living conditions for the better. They create opportunities for small businesses, new ways of generating income and improvements in daily life", explains Rolf Huber, MD of the Siemens Stiftung. "We will therefore support the further development of selected technical solutions and we hope that partners from around the world will join us in this initiative."
The ready-to-implement solutions identified via the competition will also be compiled in a central database, which will be freely accessible online. The aim is to bring together developers and implementers of technologies for development and to facilitate the exchange with potential investors and developmental organisations.
Further information can be found on www.thebusinessplace.co.za and www.empowering-people-award.siemens-stiftung.org
Vote online now for your favourite solution to receive the special community prize.
