Sana’a- Two Yemeni inventors have desperately left no stone unturned to market their inventions nationally and internationally.Hani Bajalla and Fahed Ba’ashen, have many mutual traits .Both are inventors, engineers, and having a degree from HadramoutUniversity. In their process of displaying their intellectual products, the two inventors have recently returned from a scientific trip to Germany.
“During our days in Germany,we toured many scientific centres, Airbus manufacturing factory, and some invention-related personalities.”said Hani.
“We would not have been invited to Germany if our inventions were not important. We perfectly presentenced our inventions to Germans and managed to lure them to invite us to their scientific centres.”Hadi added.
The two inventors rarely go unrewarded in most of their participation at intentional and national invention exhibitions.
“Thanks to God,my friend and I always get either gold, silver or bronzemedals while taking part at scientific exhibitions. Sometimes we compete with hundreds of international inventors who lose and we win.”Fahedproudly told Gulf News.
Hani and his friend said that they have learnt many important lessons from their recent visit to Germany.
“German scientists warned us that if we didn’t instantly get patents for your inventions, they will be stolen.”Hani said.
Sadly,they are unable to register their inventions due to the high cost of high cost of patent registration.
“To register one invention internationally, we need $30.000 which is huge amount of money. We urgently need to register five inventions.If we didn’t register them now,our efforts will go with smoke.”Hani said.
Asked why they have not succeeded in attracting the attention of any company to manufacture their inventions, Hani answered”Many great inventors brought up many important inventions, but since the milieu around them didn’t push them forward; their works could not find their ways to factories.”
He also added” We live in the Third World and in a poor country in particular where there is no place for creativity and invention. Our country is far from commercial activities that turn inventions into an industrial production. The appropriate environment for our inventions to see light is the developed countries and that’s why we seek not to miss any chance to display our invention outside Yemen.”
“Our inventions are meant and designed to benefit all humanity not only Yemenlike our invention of discovering the people who buried under collapsed houses after earthquakes. Also the other invention that detects disease in mass communities.”
Early stages
Hani registered his first invention at the Yemeni ministry of industry in 2004.The invention was named after the initial letters of his first and last names;HB1.This early invention was a small machine that is installed in cars to protect them from stealing.Years later,Hani designed a giant clock called “Little Giant”.This intention was awarded a gold medal from a scientific exhibition in Kuwait.Fahed produced his maiden invention in 2008 whichwas about turning people’s movements in crowded places into electricity. His intention was credited in three countries Germany, Poland and Slovenia
Year after working individually on inventions, Hani and his friend shiftedinto designing collective inventions. Inspired by the international accreditation,both men invented HF which bears the initial letters of their names. HF is a small object that leads to uncovering trapped people under building debris. The inventors awarded two medals at two different international scientific events in South Korea and Poland.The two inventors didn’t rest on laurel and shortly invented “Doctor Chair”which was a kind of robot doctor that examines sick passengers on long flights.“The chair sends a report to the captain aboutpassenger’s health status and he[captain]will decide whether to continue flight or make an emergency landing”Hani said.
“This intention received a gold medal from Poland,two bronze medals from South Korea and Kuwait.”Fahed added.
Life Cabinet is the inventors’ last invention which was an outcome of collective efforts with four other talented engineers.
“Life Cabinet is mainly designed to savepassengers’ lives during aviation disasters.The Cabinet which looks like a capsule is put into airplane and descends into the ground before the plane falls.”Hani explained.
In Germany,Hani and Fahed presented their invention to the Airbus.
“After a long discussion with Airbus manufacturers, they admired our invention and said that was only one shortcoming with it.They said that the Life Cabinet will add more weight to the flight.”Fahed said.
Testing ground
Both inventors are having a private institute called Al Hashimi Institute for Technology and Innovation based in the southern port city of Mukalla.
“The institute is a scientific gathering where inventors apply their inventions. We are currently training 13 inventors,preparing them to take part at international innovation conference. We are planning to train 500inventors by 2020. “Hani said.
Hurdles
The inventors say they are facing many obstacles that needed to be addressed by their government.
“As inventors we need a lot of money to create models for inventions and to pay for his overseas trip.”saidFahed.
As Yemenis, they also require to apply for visa to visit many foreign countries.”If we got the needed money,the problem of visa application comes up.In many cases we get invitations from scientific centres in some countries,but when we apply for visa,our application is rejected.We urge the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Youth and Sport to set a special fund for supporting innovators in Yemen.”Hani said.
Admiration
Professor Dr.Dawood Abdul Malek Al Hadabi, professor of Scientific Education at University of Science and Technology and one of the inventors’ mentors, said that he mainly admired the inventors’ determination and ambition that drove them into brining about inventions that would not only serve Yemen ,but humanity at large. “I admire their high spirit that spurred them into traveling to Gulf States and EU to showcase their inventions. I call upon all NGOs, government and private to support inventors in Yemen.”
