(Business in Cameroon) - Winner of the “2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise” with his Cardio-pad project (a touchscreen tablet for medical purposes), Cameroonian Arthur Zang talks about his project’s vision, the offers he has received and the help he received from the Cameroonian government.   

Agence Ecofin: How did you react on June 24, 2014 when you heard the official announcement that you were one of the five winners of this year’s Rolex Award for Enterprise?

Arthur Zang: I was very happy and still am. But I am very calm because I am also very aware of the difficulties that lie ahead.

Explain the process that led to your being chosen for this award…

AZ: The Rolex Award for Enterprise is an innovation competition that rewards entrepreneurs, researchers and scientific visionaries around the world. It is held every two years by the Rolex Company. The competition involves three stages. The first stage is project submission. Each year, around 2,000 projects are submitted from around the world. This year, there were 1,829 projects. The second stage is the first cut with the selection of 300 projects followed by a second selection that narrows it down to the 100 best projects.  

At this stage, they contact the 100 candidates and members of the jury interview them. During these interviews, there are presentations and demonstrations. The jury can ask each candidate questions. Out of these 100 semi-finalists, 22 are selected as finalists. In the third stage, a second international jury meets in closed proceedings for around a week to select the 5 winners.

The Cameroonian government gave you a grant of 20 million FCfa for your project two years ago. How exactly did the government support you and how did you use this assistance?

The 20 million FCfa didn’t come from the government, but from the Head of State. I have never received a single government grant. This support from the Head of Dtate, His Excellency, Paul Biya, was used to complete my research. With this help, I not only finished developing the equipment for my team, but also created a company called Himore Medical located in Yaoundé. We were able to manufacture 30 devices that are now ready to be used.

You’ve been contacted by some investment funds and financial partners to develop your project, but you declined their offers. Why?

AZ: Yes. It’s true that several investors have contacted me. But a lot of them only had a commercial vision for the project. I declined their offers because what I am looking for is above all a social commitment in keeping with the intentions of my partners. We are a citizen-oriented company that aims to serve Cameroon and Africa. Our main objective isn’t to make money, but rather to develop technological ways of improving the living conditions of our fellow citizens.

What’s your dream right now?

AZ: My dream now is to see Cardio-pad become one of the most widely used electro-cardiogram devices in the world.   

Interview by Beaugas-Orain Djoyum