(Art from Patents and More)

From Ideas21 (via Sociolingo) comes a story on inventors from developing countries willing awards at the World Intellectual Property Organization fair in Geneva this week. Top prizes were claimed by inventors from Iran and Mali:

Mrs. Maryam Sabooni Asre Hazer, an Iranian national, received an award for the invention of a natural, 100% cotton based, fire resistant insulating material called SATEX which replaces asbestos and is safer for both humans and the environment. The second award went to a Malian inventor, Mr. Gaoussou Traore, for the invention of a construction process using blocks of agglomerated concrete that serve as "H" or "HH" shaped moulds for earth to make shuttering for adobe (earth).

Some other innovators we came across this week:

*High-tech social enterprise reaps free software's benefits, via NewsForge.

*From Business Week: Ice cream king wants to put the freeze on nukes.

*At News on Philanthropy: Is Amex's "RED" Card Corporate Philanthropy?

*A social enterprise in Wakefield, UK recylcles wood and creates work for those who suffer mental health problems.

*KnowHR blog has a list of 'Top 10 Presentations' to inspire ...

*And lastly, some innovations aren't all they may be talked up to be ... Shell hailed troubled gas project as world model.