The International Telecoms Union (ITU), the United Nations specislised agency for information and communications technology, has launched the fourth edition of its popular 'Young Innovators' competition, seeking to find talented young thinkers and social technopreneurs across the globe, Nigeria inclusive.
The competition will also encourage the young ones to showcase their innovative ideas at the upcoming ITU Telecom World 2014 in Doha, Qatar in December this year.
The annual competition, which was launched in 2010, offers young people the chance to take part in workshops on entrepreneurial skills, opportunities to meet and network with leading ICT players, and to showcase their projects at the InnovationSpace, a dedicated show floor pavilion at ITU Telecom World.
The first challenge of the 2014 edition focuses on 'Local Digital Content'. Open to 18-30 year-old start-up founders from across ITU's 193 member states, the competition is looking for the most promising tech start-ups that are inspiring the creation, aggregation or digitisation of dynamic local content, particularly in non-Latin scripts.
Entries can be submitted by start-ups that are involved in script content, resolving the technical challenges of digitising non-Latin scripts through innovative technologies, or pinpointing fresh uses for older technologies, such as optical character recognition, voice recognition or translation software.
ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure said, "I am delighted to announce the first challenge of the latest edition of the ITU Telecom World 2014 Young Innovators' Competition.
"Last year's competition brought us inspirational concepts and projects from innovative young people around the world, all of which had significant potential social impact and impressive business potential. I look forward to exploring the latest innovations at ITU Telecom World 2014 this December in Doha."
The first stage of the contest has been launched in partnership with Ooredoo, which is supporting Qatar's hosting of ITU Telecom World 2014. With strong experience in encouraging relevant local content and inspiring start-ups across the MENA region and Asia, Ooredoo will provide invaluable support for the contest.
CEO, Ooredoo Qatar, Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, said, "We are excited to support this first challenge in the Young Innovators' competition. We know that new digital content can inspire people and open new opportunities in their lives, and we believe strongly that each and every market deserves relevant content in their own languages that is tailored to their interests."
Speaking on the competition, the organisers said two start-ups would be selected as winners of the challenge by a selection committee of experts and they would be invited to attend ITU Telecom World 2014.
At the event itself, selected young innovators will enjoy mentoring and workshops on entrepreneurial skills, opportunities to meet and network with leading ICT players, and the chance to showcase their projects at the InnovationSpace, a dedicated show floor pavilion.
Prize money of up to $10,000 in the form of seed funding will be awarded to implement and bring to scale , winning start-ups. The competition will comprise a number of different challenges, the first of which focuses on local digital content. The deadline for initial submissions is 30 May 2014.
