Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) SOC Ltd is pleased to announce the call for entries for the inaugural ATNS Avi Afrique Africa Innovation Awards, hereafter known as 2015 AVI Awards.

The final date for submissions is Friday, 31 July 2015.

Innovation within the aviation industry is no easy task. It requires a special brand of creative and scientific thinking and steely determination to bring a vision to fruition. These are the types of special abilities ATNS SOC Ltd believe deserve to be rewarded. The 2015 AVI Awards are in honour of all those who are contributing to innovating and elevating aviation.

Submissions can fall into the following categories:

Students – High school students from grades 10-12, with no formal employment, who have developed any innovation (not necessarily aviation-related)

Emerging innovators – Individuals with no formal tertiary qualifications who are involved in the development of various innovations, who are not part of a formal organisation or company (not necessarily aviation-related)

Professional innovators – Individuals who hold a degree or postgraduate degree or work for a particular institution / organisation (not necessarily aviation-related)

Research/educational institutions – Any institution involved in research or education (aviation-related)

Women innovators – Women from 19 years of age upwards who are involved in aeronautical innovation in any form or shape

Organisations – Any organisation involved in aeronautical innovation in any form

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Is it an original technology or an improvement on existing technology?
  • Is it functional?
  • Does it offer a measurable solution?
  • Does it make a difference in its sector and can it demonstrate this in some way?
  • Has your solution / innovation been formulated efficiently – both in terms of cost and the environment?
  • Can it be classified as sustainable innovation?

Media categories and criteria

Your media submission can fall within the following categories:

  • Hard news in respect of innovations
  • Editorial cartoons
  • Editorial / column
  • Enterprise news
  • Feature on innovation
  • Feature photographs
  • Graphic journalism
  • Investigative journalism
  • Multi-platform stories
  • Multi-media stories
  • News photographs
  • Online submissions

Media submission will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Degree of difficulty – logistical and other challenges experienced when writing/compiling the piece
  • Comprehensiveness and quality of information
  • Creativity
  • Quality of writing / media
  • Resources used

As the driving force behind the advancement of aviation technology in South Africa, and arguably the African continent, ATNS is committed to establishing the AVI Awards as a prestigious showcase of the sharpest minds and the most brilliant innovations in our industry.

Fantastic prizes are on offer. Announcement of winners will take place on 28 October 2015, at the AVI AFRIQUE Summit Cocktail Evening.