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ITU Telecom World 2012 selects 12 finalists in Young Innovators’ Competition
Young social entrepreneurs seek to change the world with technology
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Geneva, 6 September 2012 – ITU today announced the finalists
of the Young Innovators Competition. Open to young social entrepreneurs between
ages 18 and 25 from around the world, the competition seeks innovative digital
solutions in the form of initial concepts or early-stage projects meeting
real-world development challenges within the core theme of “Youth Innovation for
Development”. The finalists will be heading to ITU Telecom World 2012, the key
global networking and knowledge-sharing event in Dubai, 14-18 October.
From nearly 400 entries from 77 countries worldwide, 12
submissions were selected as having the greatest
possible social impact and potential for business
success within each category, demonstrating both the
breadth of young innovation geographically and the depth
of technological applications:
- B.IT – GPS-based monitoring of blood in local blood
banks (Oman, Healthcare)
- ChipSafer – Early recognition system for cattle
diseases (Uruguay, Healthcare)
- Crisis Communicator – Disaster management information
communication system (USA, Healthcare)
- Descarte Correto – E-waste management project in the
Amazon region (Brazil, Environmental Sustainability)
- EXCALIBUR – Secure online authentication system
(Slovakia, Cybersecurity)
- Gradberry - Online job portal for students and
graduates (UAE, Youth Employment)
- HiYP – App using Quick Response (QR) codes to identify
counterfeit medicine (South Africa, Healthcare)
- Isara – Sign-language learning programme ( Indonesia,
Human Rights)
- LabMagic – Virtual science laboratory environment for
schools (Pakistan, Education)
- SasaAfrica – E-commerce application for local
craftswomen (Kenya, Empowerment of Women)
- Takachar – Solid waste management through ICT sensors
(Kenya, Environmental Sustainability)
- Youth KiAwaaz – Online platform for young journalists
(India, Human Rights)
At ITU Telecom World 2012 in Dubai, 14-18 October, the Young
Innovators’ Competition finalists will receive
one-on-one mentorship sessions with high-level industry
representatives, hands-on workshop training to develop
entrepreneurial skills and the opportunity to showcase
their projects to the event's influential audience at
the InnovatorSpace on the showfloor. Networking and
building relationships with leading ICT stakeholders
from industry, government and academia will provide the
young innovators with exposure, support and investment
to move their projects forward and realize their
visions. The finalists will also be competing for up to
CHF 5,000 prize money for great concepts, and up to CHF
10,000 for innovative projects.
“Successful innovation rests on combining technology
with human ingenuity, a resource which the youth of
today around the world have in abundance”, said ITU
Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré. “This competition
enables young digital innovators to demonstrate their
ideas for tackling development issues, and commitment to
changing the world, on a truly global stage. Let us not
forget that the young social entrepreneurs of today are
the business, government and technology leaders of
tomorrow”.
For further information on the Young Innovators
Competition, including a complete listing of submissions
and full details of the winning entries, please see
http://world2012.itu.int/young-innovators-competition.
Media information:
ITU Telecom World 2012 is open to media. Accreditation
is compulsory.
For accreditation and procedures, please see:
http://world2012.itu.int/media-accreditation
For more information see
http://world2012.itu.int/ or contact:
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Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations
and Public Information
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Sally Moore
AxiCom
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