• Submitted by: admin
• Science and Technology
• 04 / 28 / 2007

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The gold medal of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was awarded Wednesday to two Cuban discoveries of great social impact during a ceremony at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana.

Dr. Rolando Contreras Alarcon won his award for being the main creator of Diramic, a system designed at the National Center of Scientific Research for carrying out fast microbiological diagnosis.

Dr. Elaine Diaz Casanas led the team that made Surfacen, an effective product used in treating acute respiratory syndrome in newborns, developed at the National Center of Agricultural and Livestock Health.

This award is the most important recognition in the area of intellectual property and is geared to motivate creativity among inventors and innovators the world over.

This is the eighth gold medal awarded by the WIPO for outstanding Cuban inventions. The first was awarded for the vaccine against meningitis type B, back in 1989.

The WIPO also awarded its UN System Innovative Business Trophy to the Cuba Rum Corporation S.A. This is the first time the WIPO has awarded a national entity.

Source: Granma