TIH takes innovation to the top of Kilimanjaro

	Bern Goosen at Gilman’s point during his 2005 summit attempt.
	Bern sets the record in 2004 by reaching 'Uhuru'.
	The Innovation Hub’s Paul Bisogno, who will also be part of the Kilimanjaro expedition.

In the true spirit of a Science Park, a number of innovative resident companies at The Innovation Hub are collaborating to provide constant monitoring via satellite connectivity for quadriplegic Bern Goosen's mount Kilimanjaro expedition in October 2007 through live video, voice streaming and GPS (Global Positioning System) plotting.

Kreon Technology is project managing The Innovation Hub's involvement and Laipac Africa, Luuk and MMB Service Providers are providing the technology that will give the public access to daily progress updates of the expedition. Two of The Innovation Hub's product partners, Flexopower and Panasonic, are also part of the project, respectively providing the enviro-friendly portable power SolarPouch and the 'tough book' (laptop) and video camera.

This collaboration gives meaning to the essence of a Science Park - that of promoting a culture of innovation. Titled 'innovation to the top', this project embraces more than cutting edge communications technology from resident companies at The Innovation. Icexpress, one of those companies specialising in progressive prosthetics development, is providing sponsorship and a prosthesis for a KwaZulu Natal shark victim amputee to attempt the summit alongside Goosen.

Paul Bisogno, The Innovation Hub's Marketing, Business Development and Value-Added Services Manager, says that this project is another example of collaboration at The Innovation Hub amongst people who are challenged and inspired by breaking new ground through technological innovation. Bisogno will be representing these resident companies and The Innovation Hub on the expedition.

The cluster services and products provided by Kreon's engineering management services, Laipac's tracking and monitoring device, Luuk's web-based technology applications, and MMB's YELLOW.TVTM digital media technology, will literally and figuratively put this Kilimanjaro expedition 'on the map'.

While a primary aim of the 2007 expedition is accreditation by the World Record Academy and the Guinness Book of Records, the expedition is also about personal growth.

Daily group discussions during the expedition will include a journalist, a camera crew, sponsors, 'corporates', friends, and a team of porters. In addition to being a qualified financial and tax consultant, Goosen is also a motivational speaker. According to him sometimes 'mountains' are in our mind - true triumph is about trying, regardless of the result.

The 2007 'Get Motivated' expedition follows Goosen's world record in 2004 when he became the first wheelchair-bound quadriplegic to climb to the highest point in Africa - Uhuru on mount Kilimanjaro. During his second attempt with Carte Blanche in 2005 he only reached Gilman's point, the second highest Kilimanjaro point. True to form, however, he said at the time "…in life, things never end up the way you want them to, so you have to adjust things".

The first group leaves South Africa with Goosen, his team and the amputee on 5 October to begin the summit on 7 October. The second group will depart on 8 October to join the first group. The entire group should be back in South Africa by 17 October. The Innovation Hub is facilitating the promotion of the expedition through the website of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) to its members in 73 countries as the host of the IASP World Conference in South Africa in 2008.

Daily live video clips of the expedition's progress can be accessed via the 'innovation to the top' logo on the home pages of the IASP 2008 Conference and The Innovation Hub's websites from 5 to 16 October 2007.

More information on the expedition can also be found on www.getmotivated.co.za.

The public can sms messages of support during the expedition to 35500 from within South Africa (sms' charged at R3 each).