The new prize, set to the 100th birthday of Walter Zapp, is to honour technical achievement and scientific research in the spirit of this great 20th century Latvian born inventor - father of, among many things, the MINOX 8x11mm "spy" camera. The prize, jointly awarded by the Latvian Academy of Science and the National Patent Office will be awarded every two years to Latvian researchers for their innovation and discoveries. Walter Zapp himself was honoured in 2001 by the Academy with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa. The first winners are Roberts Kalnins and Benjamins Joffe for their work on EMAGO. EMAGO is a specialized electromagnetic process that has been adapted to production and industrial applications. The two, born in Latvia and currently living in the US, were handed the prize in the shape of medallion by a distinguished group including Juris Ekmanis (Director of the Accademy of Science of the Republic of Latvia), Zigrids Aumeisters (President of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia), Solvita Abotina (Minister of Justice in the Republic of Latvia) and Mr. Arnd Abraham representing MINOX GmbH (Germany).
