News for OmniCompete

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects over 2.5 million people in the world, paralyzing many. As of yet, the medical and scientific communities have been unable to develop a cure. The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) and OmniCompete (OC) are working together to drive significant breakthroughs in these fields in order to rectify this situation. By designing incremental inducement prizes and raising an incubator fund, SSPF and OC hope to find a cure once and for all. Over the course of 2012, SSPF and OC will design and structure prize and business models, and raise a $10 million prize fund. Working with SCI experts, patients, investors and organizations, SSPF and OC will seek input from all stakeholders throughout this process.

All questions, comments and contributions should be directed to sspf@omnicompete.com. 

OmniCompete and the Energy Storage Challenge have recently been featured in the EcoSeed year-end review 2011. The article, on pages 22-23, highlights ESC winners Cella Energy and their winning innovation in low-cost hydrogen storage. 

"...More than anything else it's going to help us accelerate one of our most important projects" 

The Global Security Challenge has been featured in the December edition of Global Responce. Gracing the cover and being the featured story, the article interviewed the winners of the challenge and highlighted the successful regional finalists who were present at the event, taking place at PitchLive on the 25th October 2011.

This year’s finals at PitchLive represented everything that our competitions are about: showcasing innovation, promoting small business, making connections, and rewarding excellence.

OmniCompete CEO Simon Schneider published an article in Business Computing World today on the crowdsourcing solutions through prize competitions, and the ways in which this process is replacing internal R&D.

"Counter intuitively, it is not the prize award but the intellectual challenge and feedback are the number one way to reward the crowd for their contributions."

A week after winning the inaugural Health Pitch Battlefield, ReavillMED has been featured in the Herald News, a Chicago-Sun Times publication. The article outlines founder Matt Reavill's inspiration for his innovation, and applauds his win in London last week.

Speaking to the paper on the impact of winning Health Pitch Battlefield, Reavill said “Having won that little thing right there puts us as the best health-care investment on the planet.”

The Innovation Investment Journal has featured PitchLive and OmniCompete's prize competitions in two pieces published earlier this week. In an article entitled "Innovation competitions: Why we need more of them", Peter Friedman outlines his experiences at PitchLive, and his conviction that startup competitions such as the ones featured at our event (ie. Global Security Challenge) are increasingly relevant.

Friedman further analysed PitchLive in an event scorecard, giving a verdict of "‘best kept secret’, offering more than enough insight into less-widely covered sectors of the startup investment scene to justify watching out for next year’s event".

At OmniCompete, we strongly believe that competitions should not just benefit the winner, but all participants. We try to ensure benefit through written and oral feedback at various stages of each competition, networking opportunities at final events, and connections made after competitions end.

Although TracMap, Best Security SME from the Asia Pacific region, did not win the 2011 Global Security Challenge, it certainly made the most of the experience. Returning to New Zealand after last week's Global Security Challenge global finals, TracMap's Managing Director Colin Brown shared his journey in the Otago Daily News. Speaking to the paper, Brown said "It's been a massive week for us; the profile and reputation we've gained from getting into the finals was considerable, but we also got very positive feedback and made some invaluable contacts from those attending, so the benefits will be ongoing."

TracMap NZ is provides leading technology in the GPS sector. Originally designed solely for agricultural use, TracMap has applied its technology to rescue helicopters, enabling more efficient search and patrol operations. Based in New Zealand, the company has product distribution to nine countries.

Together with partners London Business School and Deloitte, OmniCompete is delighted to announce efforts to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of prize competitions.

The study, entitled “Measuring the Efficiency of Open Innovation Competitions”, is supported by Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at LBS and will be led by Dr Gary Dushnitsky of London Business School. Using competition data from OmniCompete’s previous challenges, this study will assess the ROI and other measurable factors.

OmniCompete has long been a supporter of efforts to measure the success of innovation-drivers, and will be sharing its data and experiences to further this . Speaking on the study, CEO Simon Schneider said:

“Everyone we speak to, from government agencies to big industry, has an interest in measuring their efforts in innovation. In economically challenging times, metrics and indexes that allow innovation managers to assess their efforts can enable organisations to make well-informed, cost-effective decisions. Unfortunately, there are no widespread measurement tools for traditional drivers such as grants, but we are happy to play a key role in developing such tools for prize competitions.”

Speaking in an interview with MySecurity, 2010 Global Security Challenge winner Kim Mettam of iWebgate spoke of his company's successful bid for the 2010 Global Security Challenge. He also praised the ability of competitions to foster innovation, saying 

"Competitions like the Global Security Challenge, which is really at the apex of all competitions worldwide, are a very good taxpayer’s spend of dollars for government because they encourage the best of the best to come out of the wood work and have the opportunity to be seen and heard."

Spanish SME Agnitio SL and Swiss startup Arktis Radiation Detectors were yesterday awarded the 2011 Global Security Challenge! Full details available in our press release.

ReavillMED has won the inaugural Health Pitch Battlefield! Read more in our press release.

Canadian startup iThink Security has won the 2011 Cyber Security Challenge. Please see our press release for full details.

Speaking on the win, Founder Cedric Jeannot said "Winning the Cyber Security Challenge is giving our early stage company tremendous credibility in the market place."

British-based Cella Energy has won the inaugural Energy Storage Challenge. See our press release for full details.

After receiving entries from all across the world, the Cyber Security Challenge III is pleased to announce the 9 finalists who will be competing in the live final for a total prize fund of $10,000.

The 9 finalists competing for the prize fund will be:

• BioID from Switzerland. myBioID, the easiest, most secure way to log in & manage identity, recognizes you with a webcam, not a ton of passwords.
• DMS:VaultCASQUE from the United Kingdom. VaultCASQUE provides trustworthy, accountable file sharing software using mutual, multi-factor CASQUE authentication.
• I Think Security from Canada. Even if your infrastructure is compromised QI guarantees your data remain secure. QI is the key to File Security.
• Nation Technologies from the United States. BIOWRAP-Cloud Encryption Service to Protect, Track and Control Data at rest and in motion for compliance and risk management.
• Blackridge from the United States. BlackRidge have developed callerID for the internet allowing you to reduce IP traffic on the network and cloak any IP enclave.
• Conseal from  the United Kingdom. Control & secure data on the move. Beyond simple encryption, Conseal ensures lost storage devices are no longer a threat. 
• BioSlimDisk Signature  from Singapore. BioSlimDisk Signature offers the ultimate cross platform mobile storage security solution combined with high convenience in accessibility of the device.
• LiveEnsure from the United States. Password--‐less authentication. Easy to get, easy to use, convenient, economical, ultra secure log-­‐in security for Web, Cloud and Mobile.
• Nouvou from the United States. Nouvou prevents data leaks by comprehensively tracking your sensitive data, without worrying about the type of attack. 

We look forward to the final event where all 9 companies will pitch to a live audience for the opportunity to be crowned the ‘Cyber Security Challenge III’ 2011 winner!

For further information on the final, visit the PitchLive for tickets to the event.

We're delighted to announce the 2011 Global Security Challenge mentors, two weeks ahead of the global finals. The winning startup will be mentored by Carles Ferrer, General Partner at Nauta Capital. The winning SME will be mentored by Chris Hodges, Investment Director at the Business Growth Fund. More information about both mentors is available below.

Carles Ferrer is an experienced venture capitalist with particular interest in early stage technology companies. He plays active roles on the boards of several organisations including the Global Security Challenge, iJento, European Venture Contest, IBM SmartCamp and the Techtour. Carles is the owner and general partner at Nauta Capital based in the Barcelona office. Nauta Capital is an early stage Venture Capital firm with a focus on wireless, security/enterprise software, and e-commerce. Carles has extensive venture capital experience and has been managing different venture funds and early stage technology companies since 2000. Prior to his work with Nauta Capital, he was Director of the Equity Division at Groupo Financiero. At the Spanish Investment Bank, Carles managed four  Venture Capital funds exceeding 100M under management. His previous experience includes management positions in corporate strategy and finance divisions with blue chip companies in the telecommunications and technology sectors.

Chris Hodges has over a decade of investment experience in venture capital, growth capital and leveraged buy-out transactions over multiple sectors including defence/security, engineering, media (software and services), semiconductors, telecommunications and alternative energy. After finishing his PhD in Physics at  Cambridge University, he spent four years as a Management Consultant at PA Consulting Group, advising corporate clients on the commercial potential of internal technology developments. Chris then took on the role as Investment Manager as part of the UK technology team targeting university spin-outs and other early-stage investments in Scotland Team at 3i. He spent nine years at the Carlyle Group, a principal investment firm that typically invests in sectors such as aerospace, defence, energy, power, healthcare, technology, where he was Director, responsible for the origination and execution of €20-50 million private equity investments in buyout and growth capital transactions across Europe.  Chris is now Investment Director at the Business Growth Fund. The fund was set up by a Business Finance Taskforce with the mission to help the economy with sustainable, long term investments for the future. The taskforce has put emphasis on helping small and medium sized businesses. As a long-term equity investor, the BGF will support its portfolio companies financially, operationally, and strategically.

Global Security Challenge finalist Arktis Radiation Detectors has been featured in an article in the Enginner. Published earlier today, the article highlights Arktis' role in the forthcoming GSC global finals, taking place as part of PitchLive.

Arktis is hoping to beat five other start-up firms to win the Global Security Challenge run by Omni Compete, which distributes private investment and government funding to innovative companies.

The winner of the start-up funding, as well as recipients of other prizes for the security, cyber-security, energy and health sectors, will be decided at the Pitch Live expo in London on 24–25 October.

The Health Division of OmniCompete is pleased to announce the finalists of its Health Pitch Battlefield The 5 finalists will pitch and present their idea at PitchLive London 2011.

The inaugural pitching competition attracted an impressive number of international entries, with more than eleven countries and five continents represented. Finalists will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges at the Global Finals on 24 October, taking place as part of PitchLive, a two-day innovation marketplace in London.

The finalists in attendance will be:

    •    BrainScope, USA
    •    Carlos C. Ehrich Medical Research, Brazil
    •    Francis Lamont Innovations, UK
    •    ReavillMed, USA
    •    Renfrew Group International, UK

For tickets to the grand final of this competition and others, visit  www.pitchlivelondon.com.

In the lead up to PitchLive, Wired UK has featured OmniCompete and our forthcoming innovation marketplace. Innovative technologies due to be presented by several GSC finalists have also been highlighted.

"The event -- developed by OmniCompete -- will see more than 30 technology startups converge in London to battle for £500,000 in prize money as part of a new global programme to convert the best science and technology ideas into real business."

The Energy Storage Challenge is pleased to announce the finalists who will compete for a $250,000 prize fund, courtesy of ONR and ONR - Global.

The inaugural challenge attracted an incredible number of entries, with more than twenty five countries represented. Finalists will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges at the Global Finals on 24 October, taking place as part of PitchLive, a two-day innovation marketplace in London.

The finalists in attendence will be;

• Cella Energy, United Kingdom
• EnerVault, USA
• GeoMarine Biotech, India
• Hydrostor, Canada
• ITM Power, UK
• SustainX, USA
• Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Israel

These finalists will be joined by entries from India and China, to be announced shortly.

For tickets to the grand final of this competition and others, visit  www.pitchlivelondon.com.

The Global Security Challenge is pleased to introduce the 12 regional winners who will be competing in the grand final for a total prize fund of $500,000. This year’s GSC received a record number of entries, with ideas and innovations from over 30 countries.

From the regional finals that took place over August and September, we can now confirm the 6 Startups and 6 SMEs that will be at PitchLive to win the lucrative investment.

The 6 Startup grand finalists competing for a $200,000 prize fund will be:

·Arktis Radiation Detection from Switzerland. Arktis develops a platform technology which allows new capabilities in the detection of neutron and gamma radiation emitted by radioactive materials.

·CipherCloud from the United States. CipherCloud provides cloud data encryption and tokenization solutions with innovative technology to protect sensitive data before it's sent to the cloud.

·Defog/ IARD from Israel. Defog produces OFRI (Observation through fog and Haze Range Intensifier), a video surveillance solution that makes images clear and increase their reach.

·EasySecured Software & Services from India. Easy Secured  offer and information security solutions.

·InView Techniology Corporation from the United States. InView provide innovative cameras and hyper-spectral imagers that employ advanced computational imaging.

·Radius Diagnostics from Oxford, United Kingdom. Radius are developing lightweight x-ray emitters, producing diagnostic x-rays without the need for vacuum tubes, power electronics or radioactive materials.

The 6 SME grand finalists competing for a $300,000 prize fund will be:

·Agnitio SL from Spain. Agnitio SL is concerned with developing advanced technology in order to identify individuals through voice recognition software.

·C4 Security from Israel. C4 offers security for IT and advanced solutions for utilities and critical infrastructures (SCADA) as well as information warfare.

·Defensoft from the United States. Defensoft provides a border security planning servicedeveloping a system which automatically selects optimum locations for Sensor Towers, UGS, Fences, Roads, and Personnel Resources based on Line-of-sight and time-and-space algorithms.

·Eureka Aerospace from the United States. Eureka Aerospace is a high technology research and development firm concentrating on microwave and RF technologies, coupling them with advanced signal and image processing techniques

·Ipsotek from London, United Kingdom. Ipsotek develop video analytic solutions including scenario-based detection, virtual perspective and integrated of combined sound and video analytics.

·TracMap from New Zealand. TracMap provides GPS guidance solutions for aircraft, boats and land-based vehicles operating in Search and Rescue, defence and law enforcement situations in demanding outdoor environments

For further information on the grand final, visit the Global Security Challenge or visit PitchLive for tickets to the final event.

2010 Global Security Challenge finalist Safend has just been acquired by Wave for approximately $12.8 million. Safend won best SME in the EMEA region last year, advancing to the global finals.

Speaking during the GSC last year, Edy Almer, VP Product Management and Marketing said “Global Security Challenge’s recognition of Safend’s new ideas for cyber security validates our product’s innovation and excellence-in-class.” 

Congratulations to Safend on an incredible exit! Safend joins the ranks of GSC alumni TenCube and Vumii, who also sold their firms for large sums. Including Safend's acquisition, GSC winners and finalists have now generated a collective $117M in investment and acquisitions.

The Global Security Challenge is pleased to announce the winners of the East Coast (North American) regional final.

InView Technology Corporation won the Startup category with an innovation providing the next generation of high-performance infrared cameras and hyperspectral imagers. The SME category saw Defensoft pick up the prize for its technology that automatically determines optimum locations for security system sensors, infrastructure and response forces to protect areas.

Both finalists progress to the Grand Final of the Global Security Challenge, where they will meet other finalists from Asia, Europe, the UK and the Middle East, to compete for a prize fund of $500,000.

The Grand Final will take place in London, on the 24^th & 25^th October, as part of PitchLive.

The Global Security Challenge is pleased to announce the winners of the Middle East regional final.

In the Startup category, Israeli based firm Defog were victorious with its real-time video and image enhancement solution. C4 Security, also from Israel, were victorious in the SME category for its independent network operational safety and security innovation with cyber-forensics capabilities.

Both finalists progress to the Grand Final of the Global Security Challenge, where they will meet other finalists from Asia, Europe, the UK and the US, to compete for a prize fund of $500,000.

The Grand Final will take place in London, on the 24^th & 25^th October, as part of PitchLive.

The Global Security Challenge is pleased to announce the winners of the European regional final.

In the Startup category, Swiss based Arktis Radiation Detectors won over the judges with its nuclear safeguards and threat detection innovation. Agnitio SL, originating from Spain, were successful in the SME category for its advanced voice biometric systems.

Both finalists progress to the Grand Final of the Global Security Challenge, where they will meet other finalists from Asia, the Middle East, the UK and the US, to compete for a prize fund of $500,000.

The Grand Final will take place in London, on the 24^th & 25^th October, as part of PitchLive.

Earlier this month, the Economist featured Ingenia Technology in its Technology Quarterly. London-based Ingenia Technology won the 2006 Global Security Challenge, and was spun out of Imperial College.

But if you shine a laser at the surface of an object, the characteristic way in which the light is reflected back can be used to gather information about the same features. And a fast, low-cost way of doing just that has now been commercialised by Ingenia Technology, a company based in London, to provide what it calls a tamper-proof method of “laser surface authentication”.

OmniCompete has been featured on the front page of the Social Innovation Europe website with an article on 'Innovation Through Competition'.

"Almost 300 years after a prize competition was established to find a practical way to measure a ship’s longitude, challenges and competitions are being revived as an effective way to drive innovation across a wide range of sectors."

News organisation France 24, are reporting that 2010 GSC winner mPedigree is in the early stages of a beta launch in Kenya.

The Ghanaian non-profit is expanding their anti-medication-counterfeiting service into East Africa, alongside pharmaceutical organisation Universal Corporation Limited and supported by strategic partners such as HP and Orange Healthcare. 

The Global Security Challenge is pleased to announce the winners of the Asia-Pacific regional final.

In the Startup category, Indian based firm EasySecured Software & Services were victorious with its mobile authentication technology that does not store any data on the local device. New Zealand’s TracMap succeeded in the SME category for its advanced GPS tracking software which can shorten aerial rescue times and improve law enforcement.

Both finalists progress to the Grand Final of the Global Security Challenge, where they will meet other finalists from Israel, Europe, the UK and the US, to compete for a prize fund of $500,000.

The Grand Final will take place in London, on the 24^th & 25^th October, as part of PitchLive.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg BusinessWeek featured Euclid's Social Innovation for Naples Challenge. The Challenge, powered by OmniCompete, featured Italian and International streams. The Challenge is now closed and in the online judging stage, and we are delighted to report that over 200 entries were received.

The full article is available online.

Global Security Challenge regional finalists from around the world are looking forward to their respective regional events. This year's startups and SMEs are attracting press coverage and sharing the news around the world, including Aerograph Ltd and TracMap in New Zealand and Incapusla in the US. Australian magazine Ferret has also featured the APAC final and three finalists from Australia & New Zealand.

If you're a finalist and you've shared the news or attracted press coverage, let us know!

Due to high last-minute demand and applications, the Cyber Security Challenge (CSC) submission deadline has been extended from 22 August to 05 September 2011.

The official press release is available online

2009 winner of the Cyber Security Challenge has been acquired by software giant Oracle. Full details can be found in the Register.

Speaking on the Global Security Challenge, Waseem Daher, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Ksplice said: "We thank the Global Security Challenge for creating valuable opportunities for promising security companies."

OmniCompete has been featured by the Guardian Newspaper about the impact of competitions to promote social innovation.

“Euclid Network, together with UniCredit Foundation and Projects Ahead, are taking a new approach: an international competition, powered by OmniCompete. This is an increasingly popular way to leverage innovative ideas”

Irish firm DecaWave has just announced a major breakthrough in their Scensor Chip technology. The DW1000 model, which offers low-cost wireless tracking, is on track to be ready for commercial  availability in 2012.

The official press release is available online, and the news has also been reported by Silicon Republic.

OmniCompete CEO Simon Schneider was quoted in an article on prize competitions published in the Financial Times over the weekend. The article, entitled "The runner up takes it all" highlighted the benefit prize competitions can bring to entrants.

Simon Schneider – whose business, OmniCompete, organises competitions on behalf of government agencies and multinational companies – claims that a prize, if big enough, not only offers validation but a source of funding in itself. For an early stage venture, this can be useful in the current funding climate.

 2010 Global Security Challenge winner mPedigree has just signed it first Indian client, Themis Medicare. This expansion marks the spreading of mPedigree's anti-counterfeit medicine SMS technology to continents beyond Africa.

Speaking to Securing Pharma, mPedigree's Bright Simons said "We expect growing cooperation with the Indian pharmaceutical industry over the next couple of months, and eventually with patient groups in India as efforts for a regional service gear up."

 Kromek's liquid scanner machines are currently being tested at Durham Tees Valley Airport. British SME Kromek won the Global Security Challenge Best SME category in 2009. Its liquid scanner machines have the potential to end the flight ban on liquids currently imposed on travellers.

To view the scanners in action, see this video.

We are pleased to announce that MIT Enterprise Forum for Israel will host a GSC regional event for the second year in a row. MIT Forum will host the finals for continental Europe and Africa/Mid East, taking place in Israel at the end of September. Please stay tuned for confirmation of the date and location.

 2010 Best Security Startup mPedigree was awarded the Innovation Prize at the annual Africa Business Awards last week. The Ghanaian startup beat other finalists including Syngenta (total assets: $17 billion) and Nedbank (market valuation: $10 billlion) with its SMS technology that enables consumers to identify counterfeit medicine.

Congratulations to mPedigree!

We are delighted to confirm that the 2011 Global Security Challenge Asia Pacific regional final will take place in Sydney Australia, as part of the Security 2011 Exhibition. Organised by Diversified Exhibitions Australia, the Security Expo is the largest security event in Australia and New Zealand, attracting over 4,000 participants.  Last year's winner of the GSC SME award was Australian company iWebGate, and organisers hope that Australian startups and SMEs will find inspiration in its success.

“We are excited to bring the Global Security Challenge to Sydney for Security 2011 Exhibition,” said Kobe Johns, Exhibition Manager for Security 2011 Exhibition at Diversified Exhibitions Australia. “The application deadline is looming, and we strongly encourage regional start-ups and businesses to find inspiration in iWebGate’s success and enter the competition.”

 As preparations for PitchLive London begin, we're asking our networks tell us which topics they're most interested in hearing about. Winning topics will be addressed during "Ask the Expert" sessions at PitchLive on 24 & 25 October. Experts including investors, entrepreneurs and successul alumni from our previous competitions will share their experiences in these interactive sessions.

Startups, SMEs and entrepreneurs are invited to take part in this survey, which will close on 30 June.

Last week, the Economist featured BriefCam, an Israeli startup which made it to the Global Security Challenge global finals last year. In an article entitled "Just the interesting bits - Security: A new approach to video analysis provides a lightning-quick way to scan hours of footage recorded by security cameras", BriefCam's CCTV synposis technology was praised.

"When the video summary is needed, all moving events from the period of interest are collected and time-shifted to create the synopsis."

The Stanford Social Innovation review published a collective impact case study on mPedigree late last week. Winners of the 2010 Global Security Challenge startup category, mPedigree has received widespread coverage in major press, most recently the BBC.

"Local telecommunications companies also gained increased usage of and demand for telecommunications services, providing them with an incentive to participate in the program. HP saw increased opportunity to expand its partner network within the region. By identifying these collective interests, the mPedigree Network was able to secure support from the key constituents it needed to drive impactful change.

Societal issues are complex and often require a complex solution to prove successful. However the benefit, in many cases such as this one, is well worth the effort."

 A recent blog post by Felicity Burch on the EEF Economics Blog reflects on last month's Prize Summit. Entitled "Is greater risk the route to greater innovation?", the piece outlined lessons learned at the Prize Summit, including:

• Prizes encourage an experimental approach to innovation, even prize entrants who do not win can develop new and useful ideas as a result of entering
• The competitive element can encourage investment many times greater than the prize purse
• Prizes can raise awareness of the problem that is to be solved, and encourage innovators from broader fields
•  Prizes bestow credibility on the innovation

2010 best security startup mPedigree was featured in the BBC today, in an article entitled African apps boost business growth.

"M-Pedigree" is the mobile phone app that's been developed to tackle the problem. Customers buying any medicine are asked to scratch off a verification strip on the packaging which reveals a numeric code. A quick text to M-Pedigree will confirm with the manufacturer if the goods are genuine or not.

This feature comes less than two weeks before the 2011 Global Security Challenge closes for entries. The deadline is 31 May and submissions can be made online for free.

Congratulations to 2020 Imaging, winners of the first ever IFSEC Future of Security Competition. 2020 Imaging was selected as a finalist through online judging and was further evaluated by OmniCompete's first ever crowd-voting session and a live judging panel at IFSEC yesterday.

In addition to benefiting from exposure and praise at the world's largest annual security exposition, 2020 Imaging won $10,000 and high-level mentorship.

The fifth annual National Security Innovation Competition ended last week at the United States Air Force Academy. The competition was won by a team from the University of Ottawa, who received a $10,000 prize fund. The second place team from Notre Dame University received $5,000 and the $2,500 third place prize went to Virgina Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Comparable to a Global Security Challenge for university students, the NSIC attracts high-quality security innovations from Canadian and American universities. We expect to see some of these teams grow into start-ups competing in the Global Security Challenge in the coming years!

A Financial Times 'Leading Vision' column published today referenced OmniCompete as a leading British company working in the prize industry. The article, entitled 'The benefits of giving prizes' explores the fast-growing prize industry and the many types of prizes available.

"Prize-giving can produce tangible benefits to companies and to society at large"

A summary of key debates from the Prize Summit, including remarks by Rt Hon David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, is now available. For more information on the Prize Summit, please see the website or contact siobhan@theprizesummit.com.

Prize Summit summary of key debates

mPedigree, Ghanaian start-up and winner of the 2010 Global Security Challenge, was today recognised for its prominent role in combating counterfeit medicine in Africa in an op-ed entitled "Busting the fake drug market" in mydigitalfc.com.

"If anything, fake drugs are a big and deadly business. No one knows for sure, how big. No one knew quite how to stop it.

Then the mobile revolution took hold of Africa. During 2004-2005, Bright Simons of Ghana invented a simple fra­mework for certification in the agricultural sector. In 2007, Ashifi Gogo, another Ghanaian and Nathan Sigworth of the US, joined forces with Simons to develop the model further and apply it to pharmaceuticals. Mobile authentication of drugs was born. The first implementation was in Ghana by mPedigree, founded by Simons. Like many powerful ideas, the essence of mobile authentication is simple."

The Prize Summit and Minister Willetts' keynote address were featured in the Independent's SME news brief today:

"The government is considering introducing prizes in order to stimulate innovation and enterprise. David Willetts, minister for universities and science, told the Prize Summit in London on 8 April that prizes were widely used as drivers of innovation in the past.

The government is considering introducing prizes in order to stimulate innovation and enterprise. David Willetts, minister for universities and science, told the Prize Summit in London on 8 April that prizes were widely used as drivers of innovation in the past.

Examining why this practice had become less common might provide insights about the economics of innovation and of prizes. Adding that the use of prizes was being considered by ministers as part of the development of an innovation strategy, he said that the government planned to publish later this year a new innovation strategy setting out how it saw its role in innovation."

Crowd-voting is now open for the inaugural IFSEC Future of Security Competition. The finalists have prepared 90-second long pitches, available through the OmniCompete website. Everyone is eligible to vote once, but must first register (cost-free) with OmniCompete. Public votes will be accepted until 17th May 2011, and will count towards the final evaluation.

All finalists will pitch their products live at IFSEC 2011 in Birmingham, UK, after which judges will add their evaluations to the public vote in order to determine the winning team, who will be awarded $10,000 and top-level industry mentorship.
 

Wall Street Journal Europe's Technology Editor Ben Rooney blogged on discussions held at the Prize Summit, in a post entitled "Business prizes replacing VC funds for hi tech startups".

Businesses and innovators support the use of prizes to drive innovation, according to a survey released today at a conference in London debating the issue.

eWeek Europe reported on the Prize Summit today in an article entitled "Government considers prizes to boost innovation".

The article touched on Minister David Willetts' very welcome announcement that the UK Government would look closely at prizes as an innovation tool:

 “As the Minister responsible for innovation I recognise that prizes are one of the many tools that governments can use to promote innovation,” Willetts told the summit. “We are undertaking across government a review of innovation policies and our plan is to publish a new innovation strategy later this year that will set out how we see the government’s role in innovation.”

It also highlights CEO Simon Schneider's presentation of the OmniCompete Compete to Innovate study:

Schneider also announced a YouGov survey of small-to-medium businesses in Britain, which found that a majority (89 percent) believe the government is not doing enough to stimulate innovation – and that 70 percent of SMB chiefs believe that focusing on a specific challenge and rewarding excellence are the most important drivers of innovation.

Today at the Prize Summit, OmniCompete CEO Simon Schneider launched Compete to Innovate, a report produced by OmniCompete based on the results of an independent study of British SMEs and their attitudes towards innovation and competition prizes.

Among key findings is the fact that 70% of British SMEs believe that focusing on a challenge and rewarding excellence are the most important drivers of innovation.

An electronic version of the report is available on the website and hard copies can be requested by emailing info@omnicompete.com.

OmniCompete CEO Simon Schneider was widely quoted in business and start-up press, commenting yesterday's UK budget announcement. 

In itpro.co.uk: "We have highly trained, highly creative and an incredibly talented pool of young adults who are crying out for jobs that match their skills.They are smart, they are eager and among them could be the next Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page – we just need to take responsibility for inspiring them, encouraging them and guiding them in developing and pursuing their ideas and initiatives.”

In growingbusiness.co.uk: "The chancellor promised us a ‘Budget for growth’ and while there are certainly some positive initiatives, there is still a long way to go to help the UK’s start-ups and entrepreneurs."

In smallbusiness.co.uk: "Whilst we applaud the announcement of ‘Start-up Britain,’ enterprise zones, tax simplification, R&D tax credits and a cut in regulation - all of which will certainly go some way to help this and the next generation of British entrepreneurs - this is just the first step on a long road. There is more to be done and now is the time to turn this aspirational budget into action."
 

OmniCompete joins its partners London Business School, the Ash Centre for Democratic Governance and Innovation (Harvard Kennedy School), tech4i2 and Improvement & Innovation in counting down to the Prize Summit, due to take place in three weeks time.

Key speakers include UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, and Jonathan Bays, author of the highly reputable and often referenced McKinsey report on prizes, “And the winners is...”. Representatives from Shell, BAE, Amadeus Capital Parnters, Kromek, NESTA, US Government and academia will also play an active role.

Hosted by the London Business School, this day-long workshop on 8 April will explore the use of inducement prizes to foster innovation. The workshop falls under the remit of European Commission FP7 project “European Security Challenge”, which is being delivered by a consortium head up by OmniCompete’s Global Security Challenge LLP.

Attendance is free and there are still places available. Please check out the website to see the working programme and contact siobhan@theprizesummit.com if you’re interested in attending.
 

Congratulations to Global Security Challenge 2010 finalist BriefCam. This Israeli company was just named Milestone Systems' Solution Partner of the Year.

"Milestone Solution Partner of the Year was BriefCam for their Video Synopsis technology that is tightly integrated with XProtect, and for their strategic alignments in the field that produced great results."

It is difficult to comprehend the horrific damage which has affected Japan in the last few days, through a combination of powerful earthquakes, devastating tsunamis and nuclear fallout. The force of the earthquake, which has now been revised to 9.0 on the Richter scale, was 8000 times stronger than the one which hit Christchurch, New Zealand in February.  The subsequent 10-meter high tsunami that followed engulfed the Eastern coastline of the main island and has destroyed lives, infrastructure and quality of life. The death toll is expected be in the tens of thousands, and coastal towns have the ominous challenge finding the unaccounted for; towns such as Otsuchi which is missing over 80% of their 15,000 population.

The Red Cross has recently published its report on the matter and the figures make bleak reading. Some of their headline figures include; 24,000 people who are ‘still completely isolated and cannot be reached’, over 500,000 displaced, many of whom are without water or shelter and a staggering 1.2 million homes without power.

UK energy consultant Prof Ian Fells has expressed his concern that widespread power blackouts across Japan pose a bigger problem for the population than radioactive leaks from broken nuclear reactors because of the greater number of people involved. As of writing, rescue efforts are taking place using portable energy to get to people most in need. Foreign assistance and aid agencies are ready to be deployed but delivery has been hampered by the seasonally cold weather and the fuel shortage that now cripple the country. The national grid system, for all its benefits, can no longer reliably distribute power with its weakened infrastructure in the wake of these disasters.

Organisations including the Red Cross are appealing for donations to provide portable generators to the stricken communities along the Eastern coast. Electricity is required for pop-up hospitals, power is needed to pumps for temporary water wells and energy is required to  provide warmth to over half a million Japanese people who have now been displaced for a fifth day in a row.

Japan’s energy dependency is considerably geared towards nuclear power, almost 30% of the supply, which was born from a shift in its economic policy for greater energy security in the aftermath of the Oil Crises of the 1970s.  The energy deficit caused by the absence of the troubled Fukushima 1 nuclear facility has forced the implementation of rolling blackouts of up to three hours, to preserve what supplies are available. Of the 54 nuclear power stations which dot the country, 11 have been shut down in response to the earthquake and tsunami.

Of course, dependence on nuclear energy is seen as one of the quickest way to meet carbon emissions targets; Japan’s bold objective seeks a 25% reduction in CO2 output by 2020. In the longer term, the nuclear industry will face tighter scrutiny from politicians and regulators in what is already regarded as the most regulated power form of power generation. Developed nations around the world are now closing down their older nuclear power stations much sooner, with their decisions will be rooted in fear of the current events. Germany has been the latest closing 7 of their older nuclear reactors in reaction to the Fukushima plant. However, if Japan is to be the case example to reconsider nuclear energy, we should not fall back on our old habits of coal and gas dependency which provide stable energy yet harmful by-products.

A diversified range of energy production can help account for weaknesses in one energy type but as we are seeing, the demand can fluctuate as much as supply and a consistent supply can be sustained with energy storage solutions to satisfy the demands of users.

As the International Atomic Energy Agency has stated:

“This is an accident caused by natural disaster that is unprecedented. And also the fact that we had this accident [affecting] tremendous national power does not change the fact we need the stable source of energy and we need to mitigate the negative impact of climate change.”

The priority now will be to start re-housing the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by these terrible disasters but electrical power is needed as much as man power to start the rebuilding process. Transportable energy storage solutions are essential in the short term to counter the effects of the earthquakes and tsunami at present and those of the future.

The Energy Storage Challenge aims to fund and promote such solutions. Your simple idea has far reaching implications which can providing the vital services, supplies and survival that is required in disaster relief. If you have the idea for a transportable energy storage system, please visit the Energy Storage Challenge page and consider applying. 

Global Security Challenge 2010 SME winner iWebGate was today named as one of Australia's 'Magnificent Seven' by leading business magazine BRW.

"The upside of the software is that it provides a level of security as though your network was not connected to the internet - although it is." 

The Global Security Challenge LLP (GSC) has placed a call for tender, namely on web design. The business is looking to create a new, attractive website promoting one of our current projects.

We are looking for the services of a firm or professional that can redesign and build our website to reflect our requirements, style and message. Pending satisfactory performance, subsequent contracts are likely to follow.

If you are interested please check our call for tender and contact peter@globalsecuritychallenge.com for more details.

OmniCompete is delighted to announce that a consortium led by Global Security Challenge LLP has been chosen by the European Commission to execute the “European Security Challenge” project, which falls under the Framework Programme 7 (FP7). The project, which officially begins today, will study the use of prizes to foster innovation, particularly in the security sector and will provide the European Commission with a range of custom-designed competition plans.

Global Security Challenge LLP was awarded the contract in partnership with Slovenian research centre Jožef Stefan Institute and French PR agency 3D Communications. The “European Security Challenge” (grant agreement 261566) project will explore the potential of inducement prizes to foster innovation in the security industry. It is part of the European Commission’s FP7-SEC-2010-1 research call, by the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry.

“We’re delighted to have secured this opportunity to show the European Commission that prizes and competitions can be a powerful tool for government and industry seeking to foster innovation.” said Simon Schneider, Co-President of consortium leader Global Security Challenge LLP.

Forthcoming Prize Summit to fall under remit of project for DG Enterprise & Industry

The Prize Summit, a forthcoming workshop on the use of prizes to foster innovation, will fall under the remit of this project. The Summit is a collaborative effort of a group of partners led by OmniCompete, including London Business School and tech4i2. 

The Prize Summit will take place on 8 April in London and will be headlined by UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts.

“We are looking forward to an interesting and informative dialogue on the importance of fostering innovation, and the great capacity for prizes in this way” said Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of the London Business School.
 

A full copy of the press release is available here.

As energy storage goes, the lithium-ion battery is one of the most widely adopted mediums of storing energy. The lithium-ion battery has been the foundation of electrical devices such as laptops and mobile phones. Now, it is playing a part in the resurgence of electric vehicles (EV).

The UK government’s recent support for electric vehicles, announced by the Department for Transport (DfT), is part of a wider plan to lower emission levels and achieve greater energy efficiency. In the proposals, the incumbent aims to support purchases of EVs with a grant of up to £5,000 from a list of vehicles coming to the UK. As stated on the DfT website;

“Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and Business Minister Mark Prisk announced the milestone which could make 2011 the year of the electric car for the UK - and revealed five more regions that will be installing local charging points having successfully bid for a share of a £20m fund. From January, the motoring map of the country will start to be redrawn as government and car industry work in partnership to give drivers a wide choice of clean, green transport.”

Support for EVs has, arguably, never been at a more crucial time. The revolutionary protests occurring in oil rich countries like Libya are forcing the price of oil upwards through the disruption to supply networks. Turmoil in the Middle East is creating a multiplier effect on the price at the pump, but is just one of many factors at play, such as inflation and taxation on petrol prices, increasing demand from developing nations and the dwindling availability of fossil fuels.

However, there are still many factors which can affect the adoption of EVs. Whilst the opinions and perceptions of electric vehicles can be made to look fashionable, the practicality of lithium-ion technology proves to be a challenge.

Despite impressive figures claiming that Nissan Leaf, one of the cars supported in the DfT press release, could achieve an equivalent 99 miles to the gallon, tests conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency driving in ‘real world’ conditions only gave a range of 73 miles from one charge. In addition, charging times for vehicles can take up to 8 hours rather than the few minutes it takes to fill up a car with petrol, as a recent experiment conducted by the BBC has shown.

The EV charging infrastructure also needs to be greatly improved, to increase the uptake and range capacity of EV drivers. Budgetary changes, announced by the mayor of London, have reduced the number of charging points to be located across the capital city. The original increase of 7,500 charging points has been revised to 1,300 devices to be installed by the end of 2013. As of the end of 2010, London had over 250 charging points with 1,700 registered electric vehicles but greater affirmative action is required if the mayor’s ambition to see 100,000 vehicles on London’s roads by the end of this decade is realised.

The lifespan on batteries can also be far shorter than the lifespan of the car. Professor Robert Kemp, Chairman of a study carried out by the Royal Academy of Engineering entitled ‘Electric Vehicles: charged with potential’, indicated that the current technology of batteries should typically be useful for at least three year’s usage and must eventually be replaced several times.

Thankfully, some innovators are working on the solutions to these problems. Ashwoods Automotive Limited, based in UK and one of Europe’s fastest growing companies, has developed a battery management system which maintains the each cell in order to improve range and efficiency.  Ashwood’s hybrid and electric vehicle battery management system has recently featured in the Shell Springboard Awards UK Final is one of many up-and-coming innovations in the field of energy storage. The eventual winner of this competition, Cella Energy Ltd, succeeded with innovations in storing hydrogen through low cost materials and without having to store the element under extreme pressure or with super-cooled liquids, proving that there are alternatives to the current lithium-ion standard.

The world needs to adapt under these new circumstances of political, economic and environmental opportunity. To foster a conducive system for innovation, the Energy Storage Challenge seeks to find entrepreneurs and ideas involved with transportable energy storage solutions. For more information on the challenge, visit http://www.omnicompete.com/energy.html.

The Prize Summit, a collaborative effort led by OmniCompete, was today mentioned in the CSFRI blog post "Prize-based competition for funding research and innovation: flavour of the day or sustainable policy solution?". The post, written by David Osimo, Director of tech4i2 (a Prize Summit partner) appeared on the European Commission's Research & Innovation website, as part of a blog exploring the Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding.

"In conclusion, prizes offer opportunities that the current debate around EU innovation policy should take closely into account. But we need to have a clearer picture of the state of the art, assess the impacts and the lessons learnt, understand the potential for upscaling and the risks. These issues will be discussed at the Prize Summit, a high-level conference in London next April the 8th. Practitioners from all over the world will come together to share their knowledge and hands-on experience on the opportunities and limitations of prize-based competitions."

David Lacey of Computer Weekly praised the Global Security Challenge in his IT blog this week, in a post entitled "Reflections on RSA 2011." Comparing the RSA Conference to the GSC, he said:

"You have to attend the Global Security Challenge to discover really innovative developments."

2010 GSC start-up winner mPedigree was yesterday higlighted in an Observer article entitled "It's time the world listened to new stories out of Africa".

"Repression remains rife, corruption endemic, infrastructure woeful, bureaucracy stifling. But one result is that people respond with immense ingenuity and world-beating innovations emerge.

Two examples are M-Pesa, a Kenyan system for transferring money by text that is attracting global attention, and mPedigree, a Ghanaian service to determine whether a medicine is counterfeit from its bar code, sent to a central number by text."

The ability to transport freight by air has enhanced living standards across the planet. The taste pallet of the world has never been so diverse, with exotic fruits and livestock lifted from the furthest regions. Globalisation has benefitted from air freight as a conduit for cost economies of scale and specialisation. Even through recreation, as sporting tournaments rely upon air travel to send equipment and personnel around the world to delight its international audience.

To supply such infinite wants can affect our environment too. An often cited example is the amount of carbon dioxide that is released by shipping in fruit from all over the world. The 11,682 mile journey it would take to air freight a single 45 gram Kiwifruit from New Zealand releases up to 600 grams of CO2 or enough for a 2 kilometre drive in the car.

Air freight also has its own security issues. In 2007, a report to the United States Congress by Bart Elias, a specialist in aviation security, described air cargo as the following:

“The air cargo system is a complex, multi-faceted network that handles a vast amount of freight... [It] is vulnerable to several security threats including potential plots to place explosives aboard aircraft; illegal shipments of hazardous materials; criminal activities such as smuggling and theft; and potential hijackings and sabotage by persons with access to aircraft.”

The Department for Transport in the United Kingdom acknowledges aviation as a major industry, carrying over 235 million passengers a year and over 2.3 million tonnes of freight. Corroborating its importance to the economy, the Freight Transport Association also calculates air freight representing 30% of exports by value, though less than 1% of UK products by tonnage.

In the UK, 60% of air freight is carried in passenger planes with the remainder going on specialist cargo planes. However, as we mentioned in a previous article on airport security, only 3-4% of cargo on passenger planes were screened worldwide in 2008. Although this may appear at first glance as a disregard for air safety, the answers for such a low percentage are more logical.

A manufacturer or assembler originating in the UK has the option to be validated as a ‘known consigner’ before its freight reaches the airport. This method of pre-validation and checks can bypass airport security and allow access straight onto aircraft. Their status as a ‘known’ supplier is reviewed after 12 months which would suggest that a high level of trust must be given between annual reviews. Manufacturers need to ensure that their products as well as their employees are not taking advantage of the system. Commercial airlines must also be vetted and placed on a certified list to carry freight before entering EU airspace.

Some countries can be more lax, screening only to make sure that the consignment sheet matches the items. In light of the bomb scare which occurred in October 2010, the chemical PETN was hidden in printers that originated from Yemen travelling to the UK and US but as a substance can be difficult to detect through basic x-ray scanners and can elude sniffer dogs as the substance is odourless. Since this event, air freight from Yemen has been under more stringent control. The United States responded to this threat by banning all air cargo emanating from the country for the last 4 months.

Scanning every item of freight is however seen as unrealistic to some industry experts. According to David Learmount of Flight Global:  

"It is unrealistic to ground all cargo flights or to scan everything... Lessons need to be learnt from this, but we cannot change things overnight."One of the lessons learned is that there is still a great need for more innovative security products that can contribute to efforts to secure air freight in an efficient and effective manner. Many such products are currently being developed by individuals, start-ups or security SMEs. The Global Security Challenge offers unique funding opportunities for innovators, in the form of an annual competition. Airport security is just one area of interest for the 2011 Global Security Challenge.For more details, visit Global Security Challenge 2011.

Global Security Challenge is delighted to partner with the Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance (CHDA) and their National Security Innovation Competition (NSIC). The NSIC is a competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Canadian or American universities.

This natural partnership connects the university-level CHDA competition with the start-up/SME business level GSC, creating a mutually beneficial link.

The latest ESC press release promoting our global search for energy storage systems of the future has hit news sites worldwide. It was picked up by a number of sites, including  Daily Energy Report, Earth Times, Electric Power News Today, Energy & Technology Update (India),  Environmental News Today, Enviornment Expert, Renewable Energy News Today within hours.

“The aim of the Energy Storage Challenge is to shorten the current 8-15 year process of advancing research ideas into commercial products into a 3-5 year competition based model” said Jonathan Slater, Director of the Energy Storage Challenge. 

In answer to a common question as to what determines a ‘Start-Up’ and at what point do you move up to an SME for the purposes of entering the GSC.

Who can enter the Global Security Challenge?

For the Start-up category, virtually anyone! You don’t necessarily have to be a registered company to enter this catagory you could be:

·         An employee of an large company, self-employed or unemployed with a great idea.

·         A team of full-time students at University, in any discipline, looking for an investment.

·         A retired professional with a proposal worth hearing.

·         You qualify as a start-up to enter the competition as long as your revenues are less than $5m in annual revenues or investments.

Just think what you could do and how much you could develop your innovation with not only $200,000 but the advice and mentoring of TSWG behind you!

For the Small-to-Medium sized Enterprises (SME) category, you must be a company founded after the January 1, 2001 and receiving less than $15m in annual revenues or investments.

For both categories, you cannot enter if you have been a GSC regional finalists from 2010 and all GSC winners from the previous years are excluded from entering this year's competition. You can only enter yourself once.

The table below will allow you to make a distinction as to which category you can enter. Best of luck with you entry!

Global Security Challenge 2010 finalist BriefCam has been profiled in the Economist, in an article entitled "Searching security video: Just the interesting bits". Israeli start-up BriefCam advanced to the 2010 GSC finals from the European regional finals.

"Using motion-detection algorithms, the BriefCam software separates the background (static or non-moving objects) from the moving objects, tracking and analysing any motion within the frame. It uses this information to create a database of backgrounds, events, objects and activities."

OmniCompete is looking to add a new member to the team, namely a marketing intern. This voluntary position is a great opportunity to gain invaluable work experience in a fast-paced, growing company where initiative and innovation are highly valued.

Please check out the job ad and contact siobhan@omnicompete.com with any questions. 

The British climate is rarely likened to that of California, but primary energy usage in the United Kingdom and California is broadly similar. The UK can learn a lot from the Californian energy policies that are being instated, enacted and crucially, are working.

Policies introduced by the former Governor Schwarzenegger are ambitious in comparison to the UK’s policy. California is aiming for 33% of electricity demand to be met by renewable energy sources by 2020. By 2050, it intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 20% of 1990. The UK Government’s 2006 Energy Review has a more cautious 20% renewable energy target with an aim to reduce CO2 emissions to 40% of 1990 levels by the year 2020.

Naturally, the same energy saving, carbon reducing formula will not be suitable across a broad spectrum. The UK’s population is 40% larger and has a more temperate weather system than the American state, give or take the odd ‘enormous’ snowfall that disrupts the British transport system. However, infrastructure, public opinion, the interests of private industry and the aftermath of the economic crisis will determine the likelihood of these targets being achieved. California has committed itself to long-term policies which are far ahead of the rest of the United States.

Energy Storage is recognised by the Californian government is one of the most important areas needing innovation, in the same regard as energy creation and distribution. It is anticipated that an additional 1000 megawatts of additional storage capacity will be created by 2020 through various types forms of storage; batteries, flywheels, capacitors and more.

As it is explained in ‘California’s Clean Energy Future’,

“Energy storage will be a significant feature of the cleaner power system. As a result of agency support for storage technology pilot studies, increased utility-scale and aggregated smaller scale storage technologies will be available to help facilitate integration of intermittent wind and solar renewable resources.”

British policy is not as explicit. The future of energy generation has a lot of emphasis on sources of power between clean renewable and more controversial nuclear power plants. New coal-fired power plants  are even a feature in the next era of energy generation. They come with the disclaimer of being ‘clean’; advanced carbon dioxide compressors and absorbers are incorporated to make the eventual by-product less harmful to the wider environment. The California Public Utilities Commission has also planned the upgrade millions of their customers amongst the three largest energy providers to a smart grid by 2015, five years before the UK is to complete the transition.

The UK can learn from California’s example that in the age of austerity, investment into cleaner, greener and knowledgeable smart grid systems can provide a catalyst to economic recovery, energy security and lower emissions targets for the future. A report on the benefits and challenges that a smart grid system brings to the UK indicates that the existing infrastructure of our transmission and distribution network is coming to the end their life cycle in the next decade. The UK should eventually embrace the change onto a smart grid system but more delays could jeopardise many of the advantages.

Raytheon Systems Ltd has officially joined the IFSEC Future of Security Competition as a key sponsor, in an agreement signed earlier this month.

The IFSEC competition is seeking innovative commercial security solutions from individuals, groups and companies with an annual turnover below €50M.

The competition precedes the annual IFSEC exposition, renowned as the world’s leading annual security event, where finalists will present live.

All finalists will benefit from exposure to over 600 companies and 24,000+ security professionals who attend IFSEC each year and the winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize and high-level mentorship.

Raytheon is one of the world’s largest defense contractors, producing commercial and military products. Commercial products by Raytheon include air traffic control systems and radars and sensors. 

Portfolio director of UBM Live James Blue said: “Raytheon is highly regarded in the security sector and we’re very pleased to have them on board. This sponsorship agreement is a testament to the timeliness and importance of our competition, which seeks to draw out and reward innovative commercial security solutions.”

The IFSEC Future of Security Competition steering committee approved this sponsorship deal and also unveiled extra criteria for the final judging round.

Finalists will have to demonstrate how their solution is cost-effective for end-users, in addition to presenting the commercial uses. Given the current economic climate and austerity measures taken in all sectors, this added criteria is most appropriate and reflective of the market.

The IFSEC Future of Security competition closes for entrants on 28 February 2011. Finalists will proceed to the IFSEC 2011 exhibition in Birmingham from 16-19 May 2011.

The Competition can be entered through the OmniCompete website. To support this website, please contact IFSEC. 

Ecoseed, media partner of the ESC and leading source for global green news, finance, and other resources in delivering green and renewable energy to mainstream business, has written about the Fundamental Ideas Challenge as part of the Energy Storage Challenge.

"Energy storage is dubbed as the missing link for the 21st century’s switch to a smarter grid"

The horrific attack that took place in Moscow Airport in January this year, killing 35 people and injuring 110, is a clear indication that terrorists are using sophisticated approaches to avoid detection in airports. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev acknowledged this, calling the attack a ‘clear security breach’.

Innovations in airport security would allow security services to stay one step ahead of a likely attack. Current measures in place in airports usually mean lengthy delays before you get the gate. If queues at the check-in are not the problem, the airport scanners undoubtedly are. Metal detectors, x-ray machines and full-body scanners, are measures to ensure safe air travel.  Unfortunately, in rare but significant cases, these measures prove not to be enough.

One of the ways to combat terrorist attempts is to implement procedures to identify what a suspect material is, in order to prevent attacks and recognise chemical agents before their release. Chemical detection can be a crucial step in airport security.

Kromek, a British SME and winner of the ‘Best Security SME’ category in the 2009 Global Security Challenge, have made significant contributions to this market with breakthrough technologies including their bottle scanning verifier and identifier. The Global Security Challenge recognised that this innovation was one of the best it its field and Kromek has been extremely successful since 2009. In Autumn 2010, its liquid scanner machines were approved for use in airports throughout the EU.

Kromek’s product can review a bottle of any shape, size and composition between 80ml and 2000ml and can recognize in less than 30 seconds whether a suspect liquid poses a serious threat to the people or to the aeroplane on which it is carried.

Even in freight, some startling statistics indicate that only 3-4% of cargo on passenger planes was screened worldwide in 2008, yet chemical compositions can be so advanced as to avoid detection. The odourless and volatile pentaerythritol tetranitrate, better know as PETN, was discovered on cargo planes in October 2010, despite initial searches from explosives detection equipment and sniffer dogs not discovering any threat.

As Professor David Menachof, an expert in supply chain security at Hull University Business School said, “Britain and other countries remain vulnerable to terrorists switching their focus to cargo planes... It is a widely held belief within the aviation sector that freight is the weak link in the aviation security regime.”

The Global Security Challenge aims to recognise and support innovative security solutions for problems such as chemical detection. Whether you are a person with an innovative concept, a recent start-up company, part of a researched project at university of an established SME, The Global Security Challenge accepts solutions from all walks of life.

Entries are currently being accepted for the 6th Annual Global Security Challenge.

Adrienne J. Burke touches on OmniCompete as she discusses the potential of prizes and competitions to solve many of the world's problems in an article entitled How open innovation networks can help solve scientific puzzles in the New York Academy of Sciences Magazine. entiThe New York Academy of Science Magazine        in t  

"...Incentive prize contests have come to be seen as one of the most creative ways to generate groundbreaking ideas."

Securing Pharma today announced the launch of the 6th annual Global Security Challenge. 

"One of the 2010 GSC winners was text message-based medicine authentication company mPedigree, which won the Best Security Start-Up category and $200,000 in prize money. The free-to-enter competition is funded by the US Government's Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) and is now in its sixth year."

IFSEC Future of Security Competition deadline extended until 28^th February

Cost-effectiveness is now part of final judging criteria to reflect end-users needs

1 February 2011:  Security innovators have one more month to enter the IFSEC Future of Security Competition, as the deadline is pushed back to 28^th February.

IFSEC made its name as the world’s leading annual security event, but for the first time ever, the May exposition will be preceded by a competition designed to recognise and reward security innovations. Finalists will be invited to present their innovation live at IFSEC 2011, ensuring exposure to over 600 companies and 24,000+ security professionals who attend IFSEC each year.

The Future of Security Competition is seeking commercial security solutions. The competition is open to individuals, groups and companies with an annual turnover below €50M.

Winners will receive prizes packs, including a $10,000 cash prize; mentorship from Blue Star Capital, Kingsbury Ventures and Kromek; and a stamp of approval from the independent panel of high-level judges. All finalists will benefit from presenting live on stage at the IFSEC’11 expo, distinguishing themselves from the many other exhibitors and attendees.

Speaking about the motivation behind the competition, Portfolio Director of UBM Live James Blue said:  “For many years now, IFSEC has been the platform for numerous technological developments and product launches. We appreciate that it is tough for inventors, start-up companies and many SMEs to break into the security market...With a high-level panel of security experts judging the entries, winning this competition will carry great kudos and numerous benefits.”

The IFSEC Future of Security Competition is backed by a steering committee and partners, who met last month to unanimously approve the extension of the deadline. Partners include Global Security Challenge, Blue Star Capital, Kingsbury Ventures, Kromek, Security Innovation & Technology Consortium (SITC), A|D|S and Info4Security.

To enter the Competition: http://www.globalsecuritychallenge.com/ifsec.php

To support the initiative: http://www.ifsec.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=209/nocache=true

For more information please visit http://www.ifsec.co.uk/page.cfm/ID=208

or contact            Jacqueline.Roughley@ubm.com +44 (0) 20 7955 3754

We're currently developing ideas for a space challenge, focused around the problem of space junk. Please contact us at space@omnicompete.com if you are interested in contributing to the dialogue, sponsoring a competition, or working on competitions in this sector.

Read more about the problem: "Clearing space junk: Sweeping the skies", The Economist

2010 GSC start-up winner mPedigree was today referenced in a Time Magazine article entitled "Kenya's Banking Revolution".

"The link between development and phones provided the context for further innovation, much of it using the cheapest form of mobile communication: text messaging. Out of that came South Africa's Mxit, a social network based on texting; txteagle, a developing-world outsourcing network; and mPedigree, a Ghanaian service that determines whether a medicine is genuine or counterfeit from its bar code, sent to a central number by text."

GSC 2010 winner mPedigree was interviewed by the Economist for an article entitled "Mobile services in poor countries: Not just talk" . Ghanaian start-up mPedigree won the 2010 Global Security Challenge with scratch code and SMS technology that enables consumers to identify counterfeit medicine.

“If your anti-malaria pill is made of any old white powder, you may not survive,” says Bright Simons, one of the founders of mPedigree, an advocacy group from Ghana.

Mr Simons is not just fighting with words. Late last year mPedigree launched a mobile service in Ghana and Nigeria that could make a dent in the fake-drug trade. People buying medicine scratch off a panel attached to the packaging. This reveals a code, which they can text to a computer system that looks it up in a database. Seconds later comes a reply saying whether the drug is genuine.
 

GSC 2010 finalist DecaWave was today featured in an article in the New York Times entitled "Using your mobile phones as a proximity sensor".

"DecaWave's ScenSor uses wireless radio chips to enable "precision RTLS (Real Time Location Systems) applications. In the concept video, distance measurements are used to determine proximity and do things such as enable/disable a laptop, find a lost teddy bear, enable access in a hospital room for a doctor, identify nearby patient info and then download the correct records to the doctor, and advise of approaching friends."
 

Our world in 2011 is a 24-hour, cross-border, multi-platform and integrated network, in pursuit of globalised economies and social communities for the ‘information age’. Many of our products and services have become digitalised, either in their production or delivery, as we demand ever faster, cost-efficient ways to process and monitor our demands. Delivery systems are not achieved with trucks on highways so much as they are completed by micro-processors on the internet super-highway.

Cyber warfare can take place between individuals, organisations or countries in cyberspace, with the intent of targeting centres of military, industrial or civilian importance. They might be seen as proxy wars or as a main area of conflict. Although these battles are bloodless, an attack is enough to disrupt vital operations and prolong projects.

As a result, cyber attacks are one of the greatest threats to modern society today. Attacks maybe a form of protest with political, economic or ideological motivation and their ability to disrupt the general public is increasingly more effective, as society becomes increasingly dependent on technology for its transactions. 

The United Kingdom recognises cyber attacks as one of the most significant developments to deter. British Secretary of State for Defence Liam Brunt acknowledged in Parliament in September of last year,

“Investing in better cyber-security will not be an option for the United Kingdom... We will face increasing threats in cyberspace in the years ahead - the question is how we identify the weakest areas, which need to be looked at first, and how we develop the technologies so that, as the other technologies that might affect us continue to evolve, we are best protected”.

Defence spending is set to rise in real terms. It is forecasted to reach £46.1 billion in this fiscal year, despite cuts to personnel in the armed forces, and cyber security is perceived a mainstream agenda.  In a speech to Parliament on the 19th October 2010, British Prime Minister David Cameron, announced a four year plan to invest £500 million in a national cyber security programme as part of the ‘Strategic Security and Defence Review’, recognising that these unconventional battlefields of the future represent as much danger as traditional battlefields of the past.

In truth, cyber security has been a concern since the widespread adoption of the internet at the end of the 20^th century.  For the consumer, McAfee and Symantec were offering their first instantaneous and comprehensive solutions back in 1999. Cyber attacks, however, have more impetus if they are focused on the things we depend on and take for granted. Energy, communication, manufacturing, transportation, government; their organisation and management are dependent on systems susceptible to cyber attack. Should these sectors experience a severe cyber attack that causes damage or shuts down a server, the result could be chaos if we are not prepared.

We have already witnessed the extensive damage that cyber attacks can cause. Last year, it was reported that Iran’s nuclear power developments were disrupted by a virus known as ‘Stuxnet’. This is a computer virus aimed at industrial systems such as power plants, with a purpose of damaging complicated software systems. There has been speculation that Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, was responsible for this attack in order to slow down Iran’s nuclear programme, though this has never been confirmed.

Regardless of what you might think about this particular attack, this incident shows that progress and development can be brought down with the right click, download or programming code.

Cyber security needs to take precedence in our virtual world, in order to protect the real one. Wars are no longer controlled and delivered by a Field Marshal or 4-Star General; it proves to be war of the people, by the people and not necessarily for the people. Solutions for cyber security measures must be developed and delivered constantly. The nature of the technology itself means that we must always be innovating and evolving our methods to stop cyber attacks.

Consider the problems we have when it comes to our traditional energy sources. The price of gas, petrol and diesel continue to rise. Political disputes over oil in the Middle East and with Russia on Europe’s gas supplies threaten the dependence on foreign imports. Moreover, many countries are under increasing pressure to meet their carbon emission targets and to lower their overall output of carbon dioxide.  Cleaner energy sources to aid the environment will not be enough; we also need energy independence to improve security.

Wind and solar energy are two key energy sources that are being integrated into energy networks across the world. According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change, renewable energy contributes 8.6% of main electrical grid electricity supply in the UK. However, the limit with any type of energy creation is when demand does not match supply.

What good is a solar panel if we need electricity in the middle of the night? Do we become vigil for the slightest breeze hitting the blades of a wind turbine for our consumption? On a more serious note, in the aftermath of a large natural disaster, how do we power the vital services needed by relief organisations and the affected population when the grid is knocked out, if such an electricity grid existed at all? The sensible thing to do would be to capture the energy that is created and to store it for when it is needed.

So, how can renewable energy sources benefit portable energy storage requirements? For answers, look no further than the military.

An example taken from the  armed forces stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrates well how solar power is used for energy storage. Dismounted soldiers can be stationed out in the field, for many days in isolation, and power is essential to aid communication and electrical equipment. Recognising this need, the U.S. Army has recently deployed rechargeable backpacks to its armed forces. Currently, 60% of its military batteries are non-rechargeable but it is hoped that this new piece of equipment will set a trend of renewable, rechargeable energy sources.

According to Rafael Casanova, battery team leader for the power division at CERDEC (Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center),

“These systems can be used to charge radios and recharge batteries. This reduces the amount of fuel needed and makes logistics planning simpler. Rechargeable batteries are important because they give soldiers the ability to power systems anywhere on the battlefield, and reduce the amount of money the Army spends on replacement batteries.”

Wind innovation is closer to home in the United Kingdom. Kraft Maus, a small company from Falmouth, Cornwall have created a portable wind turbine with photovoltaic panels as part of their 5kVA trailer system. Unlike the white 50 metre high behemoths that are sprouting up across open fields, if there is no wind, you could move it to where there might be more and spare yourself from the Countryside Alliance too. Energy is collected in a 640Ah lithium ion battery but the storage capacity can also be expanded.  

Kraft Maus’ business model is a relatively simple idea that has wide reaching applications. It gives power to those who rely on generators because of their distance from the grid and avoids the high initial costs, required planning permission and payback time of more permanent structures.  This model not only helps electrify our way of life but can also provide crucial assistance in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster.

As the Kraft Maus website states:

“[We] have designed a system for direct deployment into disaster relief situations. Following a disaster such as an earthquake or a war, one of the things people are most often lacking, after food and clean water, is power.”

If we are able to provide clean energy solutions, the possibilities are only limited by the technology in the battery cell. Our capacity for portable storage would greatly benefit from future development in this regard, beyond the lithium-ions that populate our electronic devices. Though they are common place, lithium ion batteries have their shortcomings; excessive heat and persistent recharging can shorten the capacity and take longer to be fully charged over time.

 One such development in energy storage include lithium-air batteries, as discussed by Khalil Amine from Argonne, which have a higher density than lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, manufacturing costs are not yet at a level which is cost-effective. Specialist bodies including The Almaden Institute, part of the IBM Research arm, also aim to catalyze long-term efforts to create rechargeable next-generation batteries with ten times higher energy density, compared to the best current Lithium-ion batteries. More commentators and analysts recognise the importance of energy storage as the saving grace of renewable energy solutions, as recently reported by the Financial Times.

The development of transportable storage systems, compatible with wind and solar energy, have huge implications, not only for our daily lifestyle but also disaster-scene survival.

 If you were lucky enough to get a new phone or a tablet computer this holiday season, you’ve either happily organised your files and contacts by now or you’re still trying to figure out why your home screen is cluttered with so many applications. Or maybe you’re just stuck on a level of ‘Angry Birds’.

Nevertheless, with the growing processing power, information and capabilities that these smart phones and tablet computers are entrusted with, a question is developing in the technology community, namely: should there be some kind of anti-virus or security measure in place for mobile applications?

Because of the relative ease with which apps can be developed, passing on the torch of software development from the IT department to a single person with a knack for computer programming implies that greater trust must be given to more developers. Since the introduction of ‘Apps’ in July 2008, there are now over 400,000 available to download from Apple’s own store. This colossal number does not include the competing devices for their market share, with newer entrants such as the Android Market, Windows Phone 7 and the Blackberry App World. Several manufacturers with their own outlets and programming facilities create a multi-platform dilemma for imposing security measures. 

We are barely a year into the revived tablet computing revolution and consumer demand for these devices is rife, with tens of millions sold around the world.  Predictably, many security vendors, such as BitDefenderand Fortinet, are reporting a rise in malicious mobile software on social network applications. These may take the form of pop-up advertisement links when browsing the internet or retrieve information over an unsecure Wi-Fi network.  

Smart phones and tablet computers are filled with enough personal data to take advantage of and apps contain instructions that often require information to be shared: From permission to access files, to knowing your current location and in some cases activating ‘push’ features that essentially puts your mobile device on ‘auto-pilot’ to receive information. Even so, what security features are there to stop malicious codes and downloads from entering your device?

Within the two most popular software development kits, the Apple App Storeand Android Market, there is a stringent approval process to ensure apps are not harmful to their users. Regardless, a few still slip through the net before being deleted from their respective stores and just because it is gone from the store does not mean it is deleted on your mobile device.

The mobile computing device is certain to receive more universal functions and it is more than likely that security measures will play a vital role in dealing with highly private and sensitive information being transmitted. Applications of the future are being tailored to monitor your household’s power usage, trade files with multiple users via cloud computing and even trace the movements of your mail; even Angry Birds needs to link with your smart phone account to submit high scores.

If laptops and computers need anti-virus software in addition to built-in firewalls to prevent data attacks, it is only a matter of time before security measures in our mobile devices will hit the mainstream.

For those who have developed innovative solutions to these security issues, London-based competition vendor OmniCompete is pleased to announce the Global Security Challenge. Due to popular demand, the challenge will be opening earlier for entrants in 2011, with a scheduled launch date of early February. The Global Security Challenge is a central hub for innovators, start-ups and investors, hosting competitionsand eventsaround the globe. It awards$500,000 USD annually for developments in innovative technology within the security arena and past finalists have gone on to raise over $80 million USD in additional new investment. 2010 ‘Best Security Start-up’ winner, mPedigree developed a system to identify counterfeit medicine using scratch codes and SMS technology.

Details about the 2011 Global Security Challenge will be available soon.

You might not realise it but many of the ordinary, mundane things that occur every day in your life involve energy storage in some way. From the calls made on a mobile phone, to the way we get to and from work and even the kinetic energy used in a wristwatch powered by the ‘pendulum-like’ movement of one’s arm; all of them require some kind of innovation in energy storage and this year will be like no other seen before.

This week, Rob Day, partner at Black Coral Capital and private equity investor, has said that 2011 is the ‘Year for Energy Storage’ and we couldn’t agree more. Commercially, this year will see electric car technology hitting the mainstream with Nissan’s Leaf and a few months down the line, Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, as prime examples of the electric revolution in the UK.

Energy storage development has spread to our newly discovered tastes for mobile computing as well. Mobile tablets, popularised by Apple’s iPad, have put greater demands on battery life and longevity. Blackberry will also be launching their Playbook, showing that there is high demand for these devices, despite the resurgence of tablet computing less than 9 months ago.

Geographically, there is also a great need to develop energy storage solutions that can be transportable as well as independent of the national grid. The earthquake disaster that occurred in Haiti last year meant that aid agencies repairing the damage needed portable and dependable power sources to perform even the most basic of humanitarian aid. Even now, the electricity in Haiti only reaches only a quarter of the population as the restoration of Haiti continues.

All things considered, the next 12 months will be monumental to the development of energy storage techniques. One company that has capitalised on energy storage is Maxwell Technologies Inc.  Having won a $1.7 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Maxwell Technologies is leading a team to develop longer operational batteries for portable electronic equipment carried by military personnel.

Some governments are even seeking energy innovation as a cornerstone of their future economic policy. The Saltire Prize, an initiative by the Scottish Government, offers a £10 million prize to the team that can demonstrate in Scottish waters, a commercially viable wave or tidal stream system. Energy independence, it is hoped, will allow Scotland to foster more jobs and stimulate growth in their economy.  

The world therefore needs to store energy for more intensive purposes and for extended periods of time, to reach more people.

Budding innovators and entrepreneurs out there will be pleased to know there is a way in which they can develop their ideas further with some serious investment in our recently opened Fundamental Ideas Challenge, part of the multiyear, multi-million dollar Energy Storage Challenge. The competition, run by London-based competition vendor OmniCompete, is seeking for fresh ideas about systems that can provide transportable energy storage. The winning entry can look forward to a $250,000 prize to take the idea further. The prize fund is provided by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)and the Office of Naval Research - Global (ONR-G).

 Submissions can be made free of charge on the OmniCompete website, which provides more details.

2011 looks to be an electrifying year for energy storage and the Energy Storage Challenge and OmniCompete aim to be at the forefront of this development, through the Fundamental Ideas Challenge.

The Fundamental Ideas Challenge is looking for fresh ideas about systems that can provide transportable energy storage. Proposals must be notably different from existing systems and in this case, an idea is really all we need. Finalists will have the honour of presenting their ideas before sponsors, investors, peers and a panel of independent judges at the first ever Energy Storage Summit in September 2011.

The Energy Storage Trends Blog discussed the forthcoming Energy Storage Challenge with Jonathan Slater, Director of the ESC, in an article entitled "Energy Storage Contest Begins: $5M Prize in 2013".

“We have already had 160 organizations and individuals pre-apply to the 2011 Challenge”

The  Energy Storage Challenge (ESC) and the Electricity Storage Association (ESA) talk about their new partnership and the impact they will have on energy storage solutions.

"Together, ESC and ESA continue to promote the development of energy storage solutions."

Congratulations to DecaWave, the Irish company who competed in the 2010 GSC finals earlier this month! DecaWave has just been awarded "Best Technology Development for RTLS/WSN" at IDTechEx in Boston.

"As DecaWave's flagship product, ScenSor uses UWB technology to locate objects to a precision of 10cm – far superior to the capability of existing RTLS products. Among its unique benefits, ScenSor offers best in class line-of-sight (500m) and non-line-of-sight range (45m); and it is a physically small chip (7mm2 90nm TSMC) with resultant cost savings."

BusinessGhana published the results of the GSC 2010 Summit in an article entitled "Ghanaian Technology Enterprise Boosts Africa in Prestigious Global Contest", giving special mention to Ghanaian start-up winner mPedigree.

"While being just as robust as emerging methods such as EMID and RFID, and far more secure than holograms, the mPedigree approach is widely accessible through basic text messaging, requires no specialist equipment or training, is free to access for consumers, and a fraction of the price of holograms, and RFID and EMID techniques."
 

 EUObserver today published an article entitled "UK counter-terrorism chief pledges respect for civil liberties" on Security Minister Pauline Neville-Jones' speech given at the GSC Summit last week.

"We do regard the whole side of the civil liberties agenda ... as being absolutely crucial to what we are trying to do. There's absolutely no point in having a safe society which is not a free one. You know - we might as well be in prison," she said.

In an article entitled "iWebGate and mPedigree win Global Security Challenge", Computer Weekly reports on the GSC Summit and profiles winners iWebGate and mPedigree.

"iWebGate won the best security SME category and was awarded $300,000 and mentorship from the Carlyle Group for its online security product. The product set ups a virtual, highly secure reception area between an organisation's trusted network and volatile public networks such as the internet. It is a low-cost product aimed at enabling businesses to improve the overall security of trusted networks while keeping it simple to do business on the internet.

mPedigree won the best security start-up category and was awarded $200,000 and mentorship from Advent Venture Partners for its world-first system that enables consumers to verify the authenticity of their medicines using free text messages."

Israeli company ID-U Biometrics was today featured in MIT's Technology Review in an article entitled "For your eyes only". ID-U Biometrics will join other GSC finalists from around the world tomorrow at the GSC Summit.

"The way you view the world is unique, so why not use it to identify you? A company in Israel has developed a security system that does just this--exploiting a person's unique pattern of eye movements to identify them."
 

GSC Co-President and OmniCompete CEO Simon Schneider explains his belief in the power of prizes to drive innovation and solve problems in an op ed entitled "Why I set up an investor's championship" in the latest edition of the New Scientist.

“This is not just a business competition with one or two winners”.

Israeli company BriefCam, who will be competing in the GSC Summit 2010 later this week, has been profiled by the New Scientist in an article entitled "All-seeing eye for CCTV surveillance".

" ""In some cities, CCTV is a victim of its own success: the number of cameras means there is not enough time to review the tapes. That could change, with software that can automatically summarise the footage."

 Just a week before the GSC Summit, Irish finalist DecaWave has secured €2M in funding.

"DecaWave, a Dublin company specialising in semiconductor technology, has secured funding of €2 million, in an investment round led by Cork-based Kernel Capital and Dermot Desmond’s equity firm, International Investment & Underwriting."

BEST Magazine editor Gerry Wolf wrote an editorial  entitled "Winners need in Energy Storage Challenge" about the ESC and the call for new innovations in this field in the latest edition of BEST Magazine.

"Good technology needs honouring. We've had the X prize for space and for automotive - the millennium technology prize. Now comes the Energy Storage Challenge - a three year programme with a top prize of US$5million to develop a new energy storage technology."

The America Mid-West Regional Held at the University of Michigan and sponsored by the Michigan Security Network was a huge success!  Listen to the Radio archive.

A materials analysis company from Canada and a suburban Chicago developer of lightweight biological protection masks won the Midwest Regional final of the $500,000 Global Security Challenge Tuesday. The event was held on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

"Kromek beat finalists from Australia, the US and Spain in a competition which saw over 200 applicants from the opening rounds. Kromek entered the final as the winner of the Western European GSC competition.

As Security SME of the year, Kromek will receive $400,000 from the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) department of the US government, the national research and development arm for combating terrorism at home and abroad."
 

Ksplice, a new security company that offers services to speed the deployment of security patches, was awarded a cash prize today as the winner of the Cyber Security Challenge, a part of the annual Global Security Challenge. 

The Cyber Security Challenge recognizes the world's best startups responding to mounting challenges in cyber security. The competition is sponsored by BAE Systems and features a cash award to the winning startups. 

"It was enough to make any would-be terrorist question whether their trade had a future: a darkened room packed with serious-looking government and military officials being shown ever more ingenious ways to thwart bombers and plotters.

The Global Security Challenge (GSC) – a sort of Dragons' Den for the James Bond world – is officially a way for companies hawking new security and anti-terrorism devices to compete for funding. Here, they get to network furiously with investors and bigwigs from potential clients in the Pentagon and Ministry of Defence as well as private industry."

"The 2009 competition will include six regional semi-finals held throughout Europe, Asia and North America and will culminate with the grand final at the GSC Security Summit held at London Business School on November 13, 2009. The winners of the final will receive cash grants, mentorship and invaluable publicity and exposure. Mentors come from the world's leading venture capital funds, including Hummer Winblad and Civitas Group."

"According to Venture Business Research, which provides information on private companies in high-growth sectors, more than $6 billion of investment has flowed into private security and defense businesses in the United States and Europe so far this year, up from about $3.5 billion in all of 2006.

Spotting that potential, MBA students at London Business School staged the inaugural Global Security Challenge last year, when the British start-up Ingenia Technology took the $10,000 first prize for an anti-counterfeit laser-scanning device.

The interest in the competition was so great that the U.S. government's Technical Support Working Group raised this year's prize to $500,000."

"Specifically designed to help start-ups in the booming post-September 11 security field, the second annual competition increased the prize money from $10,000 to $500,000 (thanks to the Technical Support Working Group at the U.S. Defense Dept.) making it "the biggest business plan competition in the world," according to co-founder Simon Schneider."" ""afsdaf

"Entrepreneurs with a good idea for a security technology start-up have a chance to win a $500,000 (£253,000) grant to support the development of their business plan.

The contest, co-founded by London Business School and backed by the US Pentagon among others, is open to businesses with less than $5m in annual revenues with a demonstrable product."
 

"The National University of Singapore has been selected to host the first-ever Asian leg of the Global Security Challenge."