Can Sci-Art projects lead to the creation of wealth generating products, processes and services?

I should say, at the outset, that wealth generation was never in our minds when we came up with the idea of Sci-Art. As I’ve mentioned, this event occurred over 20 years ago. The group of scientists, artists and generalists who, together, during the course of one year, hammered out the terms of reference for launching the Sci-Art competition were concerned to achieve, above all else, a meeting of minds between artists and scientists. Submitted ideas must be able to demonstrate that the artists and scientists concerned had worked as a true partnership with each penetrating and engaging with the territory of the other – a criterion that remained intact throughout the 10 years of Sci-Art’s life, although during this period of time the initiative did move through a series of administrative changes.

In all four stories I’ve narrated, a Sci-Art Award kick-started partnerships into action. Often, this initial funding enabled projects to gather further funding from other sources once early progress began to show tangible results. But, in the case of John Tchalenko’s project, PAINTERS EYE MOVEMENT, which he regarded as only a feasibility study, it was a further Sci-Art Award that enabled him to move the project forward into a closer examination of ‘Eye Control’.