Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation: 10th anniversary pitching event and celebratory reception

Events
Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation: 10th anniversary pitching event and celebratory reception

An exclusive evening celebrating 10 years of the Africa Prize, showcasing some of the most successful innovators and businesses that have participated over the last decade.

31 January 2024

Prince Philip House

5.00pm - 8.30pm

INVITATION ONLY

This invitation-only event is a special addition to this year’s Africa Prize calendar. It marks 10 years of support for scalable engineering solutions in countries south of the Sahara.

Over the last decade, the Africa Prize has demonstrated how ambitious engineering innovators are protecting the environment and transforming the continent’s economy through scalable solutions. Africa Prize innovators are addressing pan-African and international challenges, including adapting food and water systems for climate resilience; developing low-carbon energy and transport solutions; and improving telecommunications, education, financial services, and healthcare.

Twelve Africa Prize alumni will participate in a three-day training programme. The programme culminates with this showcase event, where the alumni will pitch for the Africa Prize Alumni Medal. The winner will receive an award of £50,000 and there will be two second place awards of £15,000 each.

Guests can also expand their networks by engaging with investors, corporates and other ecosystem players at the event.

Programme*

5.00pm	Registration
5.30pm	Welcome Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering
5.35pm	Introduction by Host to Africa Prize celebration event Marverine Cole, Broadcaster and journalist
5.40pm	Pitching competition Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Chair of the Enterprise Committee, Co-Founder and General Partner at Enza Capital, and Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation
6.45pm	Exhibition and networking reception
7.30pm	Welcome back by Host Marverine Cole, Broadcaster and journalist
7.35pm	Reflective remarks Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President, Royal Academy of Engineering
7.40pm	Elevator pitches by three finalists
7.50pm	Africa Prize Alumni Medal - Winner announcement Rebecca Enonchong FREng, Founder and CEO of AppsTech and I/O Spaces, and Africa Prize judge
8.00pm	Formalities conclude and networking reception continues
8.45pm	Close of event

*Programme, speakers and presenters subject to change

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Venue and accessibility

It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].

Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found at: https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/accessibility.

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Marverine Cole

Sir John Lazar CBE FREng

President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Sir John serves as Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which empowers young people through computing and digital technologies. He is also a co-founder, General Partner, and a Limited Partner at Enza Capital, which supports tech-driven solutions to major challenges in Africa. He serves on several African tech company boards, and was previously Chair of What3words.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald GBE FREng FRSE

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE

Hayaatun is CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation. She co-chairs with the Science Minister the government’s Business Innovation Forum and co-chaired with Sir Lewis Hamilton his Commission on improving Black representation in motorsport. She is a trustee of various charities, member of the government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council and Digital Skills Council and NXD at construction company Laing O’Rourke. She has been named as one of the ‘Inspiring 50’ women in tech in Europe and one of the most influential women in both UK engineering and UK tech. She has a Masters in Biochemistry (MBiochem) from Oxford and a PhD from Cancer Research UK/UCL. She is a Fellow of the IET, Honorary Professor at UCL and Honorary Fellow at The Queen’s College, Oxford. She has received honorary doctorates from UCL, Imperial College London, Newcastle, Brunel, Huddersfield and Southampton, as well as a Science Suffrage Award and the Engineering Professor’s Council President’s Medal. She was a finalist for the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and was made a CBE for services to International Engineering in 2019. Prior to her current roles, she was Deputy CEO at the Academy and served as Committee Specialist and later Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee.