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New Friend of Saltire Prize
16/12/2008
First Minister Alex Salmond today announced Catalonia's support for Scotland's £10 million renewable marine energy challenge after President Jose Montilla officially signed up as a Friend of the Saltire Prize.
The endorsement follows the FM meeting with President Montilla in Barcelona yesterday.
In the two weeks since the world's biggest marine energy innovation prize challenge was announced, the Scottish Government has been approached by 29 companies from across five continents looking to compete. The £10 million prize will be awarded to the team that can demonstrate in Scottish waters a commercially viable wave or tidal energy technology that achieves a minimum electrical output of 100GWh over a continuous two year period.
Established friends of the Saltire Prize include Nobel Prize winning economist and former Chairman of President Clinton's Economic Advisers Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Harvard Director of Environmental Economics Professor Robert Stavins, National Geographic Society President John Fahey and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Mr Salmond said:
"Already, in just two weeks of this world-leading competition being launched, we have received 29 formal registrations of interest from all over the world. The Saltire Prize has inspired companies and organisations from Scotland, England, Italy, France, India, Norway, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, America, Norway and as I found out on my visit to Catalonia, Hidroflot S.L. based in Barcelona.
"Today we have made another great friend of the Saltire Prize: President Jose Montilla. President Montilla has first-class green credentials and has rightly said 'mankind cannot keep living above its means or we risk the inevitable annihilation of the world.'
"We are delighted and excited by the support and interest in the Saltire Prize from across the globe. We particularly welcome the most recent support from our friends in Barcelona who share Scotland's belief that this ambitious competition has the potential to make a real impact on our efforts to save the planet."
President Montilla said:
"The Catalan Government takes the issue of developing and harnessing renewable energies very seriously. We have agreed to work with the Scottish Government in the sharing of information and proposals relating to the research and development of renewable energy.
"I was very interested to hear from the First Minister about Scotland's plans for the world's largest marine renewable energy innovation prize. And I was delighted to accept his offer to become a 'Friend of the Saltire Prize'. I hope that as well as fostering greater links between our nations, we will see Catalan companies getting involved in the Saltire Prize development, helping take forward research in sea-origin renewable energy."