Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1099822
17 EVENTS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 APRIL 2019 THE Fundación MAPFRE Awards for Social Innovation assessment committee has chosen the 27 most innovative projects from among the more than 200 projects submitted. These projects demonstrate the greatest capacity for social transformation and global im- pact, and share a common goal: improving health, insurance and sustainable mobility, three essential aspects for social pro- gress. The qualifying projects, which come from 11 countries, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Co- lombia, Denmark, Spain, Gua- temala, Luxembourg, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and the United Kingdom, will soon be compet- ing in three semi-finals which will be held in Mexico City and Sao Paulo in June, and in July in Madrid. The Grand Final will be held on 10 October in Madrid. The committee has chosen the projects which offer the greatest potential for social impact and which are the most workable from a technical, economic and organizational perspective. They also assessed the ability and experience of the teams in developing the idea and demonstrating with pilot tests or prototypes how their projects could become a reality. The goal of these awards, which offer a cash prize of 30,000 euros for the winner in each category, is to also promote creativity, entrepre- neurship and leadership as the tools for bringing about a fairer world, as well as promoting values such as sustainability, equality and inclusion. There are a number of inter- esting projects to choose from. Some of the projects in the e- health category include a wrist- band to monitor and detect heart arrhythmia and to help prevent strokes, a portable de- vice which is attached to a per- son with a neurodegenerative disease's shoes in order to pro- vide them with visual cues and a glove which enables a medical professional to rapidly assess the state of a person's heart in a critical condition and signifi- cantly reduces their response time. Another project includes a keyboard which helps people with limited movement or im- paired fine motor skills to use computers or mobile devices. One project helps blood banks and hospitals find blood do- nors for in demand blood types automatically. In the category for sustainable mobility and road safety, some of the projects that have quali- fied include a system which enables people with visual im- pairments to orient themselves in any location by means of signal with the help of their cell phone and a device which is installed on the roads that is able to automatically reduce a vehicle's speed. One project, is a mobile app that can detect speeds of over 20 kilometers per hour in order to block your telephone and prevent distrac- tions while driving. Another platform tells you if a public bus is full and which offers on- line ticket payment. In the Insurtech category, a number of interesting projects were submitted. One project involves constant monitoring service for elderly people which activates an assistant in the event that they have an acci- dent or fall ill. Another project involves an app which enables drivers to take out autmobile insurance based on their vehi- cle's use, while another seeks to improve the quality of life and well-being of low-income fam- ilies through access to savings and insurance. One submission involves a project which offers the possibility of having con- sultations with a psychologist by videoconference, wherever you are in the world. The 27 semifinalists will enjoy various promotional channels for their projects, which will help them to publicize their work. They will receive sup- port, guidance and assistance in effectively communicating and developing their proposals with the help of online men- toring for semi-finalists and coaching for finalists. More information avail- able at: https://www.funda- cionmapfre.org/fundacion/ en/grants-aids-and-awards/ awards-fundacion-mapfre-in- novation-social/ Innnovative projects with a social impact to transform the world DESIGNED to be a game-changer on the local art scene, Heritage Malta's national community art mu- seum MUŻA is inviting the public to a first encoun- ter with Modern and Contemporary Art through the lecture 'Victor Pasmore, a talk about his life in Malta' next Thursday, 4th April. Victor Pasmore will be introduced to the partici- pants through a presentation about his time in Mal- ta and how this influenced his life and his career. A discussion will follow, featuring members from the Pasmore family, acquaintances of the artist, and other personalities who remember him and who still cherish fond memories of the artist. The shar- ing of memories and stories from the audience will also be very welcome. The event is being organised in collaboration with the Archives and Special Collection Department, University of Malta Library. Admission is free of charge. The event is being held at MUŻA, at the Auberge D'Italie in Merchants Str, Valletta and starts at 6pm. Victor Pasmore, a talk about his life in Malta