Winners announced in innovation challenge
The Youth Innovation Challenge 2020 winners were chosen recently.
AS the Youth Innovation Challenge (YIC) 2020 came to a close, Innovate Durban was excited to announce the 2020 winners.
A small gathering of participants and partners, Software AG, eThekwini Municipality, Zutari, Adams&Adams and the Domino Foundation, was held at the Innovation Co-Lab in Cato Manor, and Derivco, who assisted with the judging of solutions this year, also attended for the announcement of the winners.
In first place were Team BlueChips Bytes – Kiren Sewnath and Tashleen Kasipershad, in second place were Team O’Waste – Zibusiso Ted Mhlanga and Elijah Djan and third prize went to Team Royaume – Andre Adkins, Francis Junior Djumo, Sipho Sithole and Sphephelo Mlunguwana.
Winners of the Zutari Floating Trophies were Team Saterco – Sipho Mabunda and Nkosinathi Mkhize, and the Woman in Design Award went to Coceka Mngweba.
The YIC is an annual programme of Innovate Durban, held in partnership with various organisations. The purpose of the YIC is to create a platform for innovation to thrive, by empowering citizens, particularly the youth, to become innovative in their communities and in business.
ALSO READ: Durban’s Deputy Mayor resigns, joins regeneration company
At the announcement, partners expressed the importance of innovation in the social and economic transformation of the region. Itayi Mandonga of Software AG, highlighted the important role that the challenge and facilities such as the Innovation Co-lab in Cato Manor have in providing opportunities, access, and delivering outcomes.
Lunga Madlala reiterated the Municipality’s commitment to innovation and the role of digital transformation versus digital optimisation and Richard Alschlager from Zutari (formerly Aurecon), a long standing partner of the organisation, expressed his joy in seeing the programme produce tangible results, using the example of HyDrop, a solution that was presented to him as a judge in the YIC 2017, which is now a commercialised product.
While the YIC 2020 is over, the journey for the innovators will continue as they embark on a year long programme with Innovate Durban through the Start Up Support Programme that will provide them with business and technical skills to take their solutions further, as well as opportunities to further prototype their innovations.
For more information on the Youth Innovation Challenge, contact Amy Benn, Innovation Co-Lab Lead at Innovate Durban on 087 821 1023 or email: amy@innovate.durban.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple
