WINNERS OF EIF AND CRDF GRANT TENDER ASNNOUNCED

Noyan Tapan
Oct 25 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. At the venture conference of the US
Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and its Armenian
partner Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) in Yerevan on October 24,
the scientific research organizations – winners of the grant tender
held by CRDF and EIF – were announced. The tender was held under the
CRDF Science and Technologies Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). For
their developments with Armenian production enterpise-partners,
5 thousand dollars will be given to the Institute of Mathematics
(for design and creation of prototype of a new piston pump), to
the scientific group led by Ruben Vardanian of State Engineering
University of Armenia (SEUA) (for development of new cost-effective
photovoltaic solar energy concentrator system), and the group led
by Gagik Aivazian (SEUA) (for design, fabrication and marketing of
photovoltaic systems based on silicon vertical multi-junction solar
cells). The scientific group led by N. Vardanian, laboratory head of
the Institute of Microbiology, will receive a grant for developing a
new integrated biometallurgical process for gold production, the same
institute’s group led by Hrachia Hovhannisian – for intensification
of probiotics production by means of burdock’s raw inulin, while
the group headed by Mikael Hovhannisian of the Institute of Botany
– for TPS technology used in elite seed-potato production. During
the conference, another four reports on applied developments were
made. EIF Director Bagrat Yengibarian said that the work on assistance
of their authors will continue separately. Natalia Pipia, Manager
of SRDF Industrial Programs, underlined the importance of the fact
that the scientific groups – tender participants found production
enterprises as partners. Jim Butterworth, jury member, expressed a
high opinion about the applied developments presented by 10 Armenian
scientific groups. The jury was also composed of Hovhannes Avoyan,
Director of Sorsio company (Armenia), Chairman of the Union of IT
Enterprises, Ara Hamazaspian, Director of the Izmirlian Foundation,
and Hayk Papian, Director of Venture Management Advisors company.

B. Yengibarian reminded that the above mentioned 10 developments
were selected out of 30 bids. According to him, it is envisaged to
spend 20 thousand dollars to assist the scientific groups which won
the tender. He expressed a hope that such a tender will be held in
2007 as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress