Birth of a Movement for Innovation in Latin America

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 28, 2011 .- The I American Innovators Forum, with support from CAF – Latin American development bank, will be held to launch the Innovators of America Prize and its Innovarometro.

Event: Launch of Innovators of America and press conference. Date: March 1, 2011 Venue: Hilton Hotel. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Time: 6:30 pm

This is the first prize to recognize, every two years, Latin Americans who have developed the most innovative and influential projects in the field of research, education, economics and business, design, social initiatives and environmental protection. A jury of renowned experts in different areas will select the winners, and there will also be a program for exchange of experiences of the winners with various educational institutions.

Patricia Janiot, director general, said "Innovators of America promotes creativity and innovation as essential tools for transforming the thinking and actions of Latin Americans, looking toward a better collective future and a relevant role in the global context. For these reasons, Innovators of America is conceived as a communication platform with educational character to give these models and attitudes a regional impact."

Enrique García, CAF president & CEO, said "CAF, committed to the development of the region, understands the role innovation plays in generating wealth and wellbeing. We congratulate the creators of this initiative and we join it enthusiastically in an effort to stimulate not only the competition but also measurement of the progress of innovation in Latin America."

The expert jury will select the winners in the six categories of the "Innovators of America" prize with the support of a research team. Each winner will receive US$40,000.

Throughwww.innovadoresdeamerica.com, candidates can be nominated for the prize who are natives of Latin America and have developed important projects in the six categories during the evaluation period whose execution can be proven.

In the I Innovators of America Forum, experts from our region will work to define the legal conditions for the prize and the regulations for the jury, as well as the criteria and indicators of a new tool for measuring innovation. The Innovarómetro was developed by Dr. Orlando Jiménez to measure the levels of innovation in each country by means of a series of indicators. This will be CAF’s contribution to the countries of the region as a tool for promoting development.

Some of the figures who will attend the First Forum of American Innovators include: José Carrera, CAF vice president of Social and Environmental Development; Hernando De Soto – economist; Orlando Jimenez - author of the Innovarometro; Gustavo Lugones - Rector National University of Buenos Aires, among others. The participants from the Dominican Republic were César Cuello – author of the Jury Regulations; Georges Santoni - author of the legal conditions of the prize; and economist Frederic Emam-Zadé of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE).

About Innovamerica Innovamerica Inc., with offices in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is responsible for the general organization and promotion of the "Innovators of America" prize. The company is formed by the Pagés Group, Patricia Janiot, Gustavo Sorzano and Aldo Espinosa, a group of multidisciplinary professionals related to the areas of humanism, creativity, communication and information, with links to institutions with international impact.

For more information, visit www.innovadoresdeamerica.com,