The ITU Innovation challenge is a global open competition platform for innovators and ecosystem builders from 26 countries to present their ideas and projects, empowering them to transition their communities into flourishing digital-oriented societies.
Innovators introduced solutions that will fast track national development priorities and empower ecosystem builders who have built practices dedicated to nurturing innovators.
This year, women were in the majority as twelve were chosen, together with eight men, as top innovators across three category challenges.
These winners represented three categories titled; Digital Change-maker challenge, Ecosystems Best Practice Challenge, and Women in Technology Challenge.
The ITU Innovation Challenge comprised 12 members on the jury made up of six external experts and six ITU experts.
It allowed entrepreneurs to take part in the Global Innovation Forum which ran from 26th to 30th October 2020 and a boot-camp that featured 25 mentors from 18 countries.
2020 ITU Innovation Challenge winners in each category
The Digital Change-maker Challenge
This is open to innovators with ideas that can facilitate digital transformation in their communities create and transform digital impact in their communities.
The winning innovations in this category are
Agro
Founded by Tafadzwa Ronald Chikwereti, this enables smallholder farmers to minimize waste and increase profitability.
Guiding Sounds
A platform created by Carlos Eduardo Mosquera Reyes which aims at protecting and enabling visually impaired people to safely navigate their surroundings.
Online Interactive Gallery
A forum built by Mojca Karin Rehar, it focuses on supporting upcoming artists through an online interactive gallery.
RaebConnect
Presented by Ikechukwu Umezurumba, this is a digital platform that gives insights and funding access to farmers who do not have a bank account.
Teleeza
Revolutionary Mobile Content Aggregation and Advertising Platform Developed by James Gachara Kiruri, whose intent is to create a mobile content aggregation and advertising platform that will be useful in a post-COVID world.
VISTA
Thomas Müller is the founder of this platform that allows public-private partnerships to digitise the tourism sector.
Ecosystem Best Practice Challenge
This Award goes to ecosystem builders who practice, protect, and create an enabling environment for innovators within their communities.
The top innovators will attend a flagship ITU event to expand their knowledge, connect with innovators, network with experts, and scale-up.
The winning innovations in this category include:
Changing the African narrative through Digital Media
Founded by Dominic Chidiebere Nwaogu, this platform is for aspiring artists and creatives to exhibit their work digitally.
Creative Environment for Talent Development
This innovation created by Diana Artiom seeks to build an environment for talent development.
EgyptInnovate Platform
Presented by Nahel Muhammad Amirahand, this platform is a go-to place for innovators not just to find resources, but also to connect with other innovators.
Health-tech ecosystems
An innovative platform by Ivana Kostić aimed at building an ecosystem for health-techs in developing economies.
Innovation Guide
Developed by Galina Dremova, this innovation platform sets out to connect startups with corporates.
Regopantes
Created by Wilda Romadona, this innovation aims to link farmers to digital value chains and to enable them to set fair prices.
Smart City Ambassadors
The idea behind this innovation led by Laila Abdullah Khasib Al Hadhrami is to make navigating technology from the 4IR feasible.
Teach a Kid Make Individual Life
With this platform created by Zainab Khan, communities not exposed to e-learning are provided with digital literacy education.
UN Digital Academy
Developed by William M Allen this academy provides knowledge and technological skills and expertise needed to speed up digital transformation.
Women in Technology Challenge
Women in Technology Challenge is for individual women tech innovators and startups, that create digital projects, to positively impact women in the tech industry.
The winning innovations are:
BullyID Indonesia
Set up by Nindya Miesye Agita Pasaribu, this innovation builds resilience and, simultaneously, decreases the vulnerability of victims of cyber-bullying.
CYBERDADA TZ
This platform created by Calister Apollonary Simba aims to prioritise and reduce the gender gap in cybersecurity.
Empowering girls and women through technology
Achia Khaleda’s aim, with this innovation, is to financially guide women and girls through mobile financial technology.
Empowering Women Through Information and Communication
This is an innovation created by Rani Mutiarawati. It aims to improve the lives and efforts of rural farmers by providing them with access to real-time data on land canal irrigation.
SCAN 4 PADS
Founded by Nabuyuni Ann Sankan, this female-centred innovation provides access to low-cost menstrual products.
Featured Image: itu.int
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