HACK THE UN SDGs DIGITALLY -

THESE ARE THE WSA NOMINEES OF 2020

17 UN SDGs. 75+ countries. 340 + nominations. - Focusing on digital content, user value, local impact and contribution to the achievement of the UN SDGs.

This year has proven more than ever, how purpose driven digital solutions offer not only means of development and progress, but provide real solutions for global issues.

• Meet the WSA nominees 2020, a global spectre of digital content that counteracting local and global issues.
• Discover the latest in terms of local solutions using digital content to close the worldwide gaps, making a real impact on their communities.
• Get a unique worldwide selection of how digital applications work towards solving local issues - globally!

WSA 2020 NOMINEES  - MORE THAN 340 DIGITAL INNOVATIONS FROM OVER 75+ COUNTRIES

Valuing communities and involving citizens in urban planning and the implementation and monitoring of the cities of the future - these are the main stress points of the World Cities Day 2020. Global urbanization, addressing challenges, making settlements smarter, and contributing to the sustainable urban development around the world are on the agenda of the WSA Winners from China to Mexico and from Finland to Sri Lanka.

 

Check out these eight WSA Winners, who are reshaping how we live in cities across the globe!

1. RaSpect Intelligence Inspection

RaSpect is an AI-powered predictive inspection company for architecture. Through the use of satellite data, built-in IoT sensors, and automatic drone inspection, they can know the potential risk of architectures and calculate the degree of damage after comprehensive analysis of the above data.
This solution not only provides more accurate inspection and analysis than traditional practices, but also saves more than 50% of the time and cost, creating a safer and smarter society via state-of-the-art technology, including robotics, AI and IoT.

More about RaSpect: https://wsa-global.org/winner/raspect-intelligence-inspection/

 

2. Jetty

The 2017 Smart Cities Index ranked Mexico City 100th, making it one of the world’s straggling cities with 45% of mobility in private vehicles. Jetty offers an app for a better public transportation system using technology to meet people’s needs in developing countries. Providing an affordable, reliable and comfortable solution with well-crafted routes, commuting to work becomes more efficient. Using GPS and notifications, users can plan their trips and enjoy a pleasant ride that costs less than driving their own car.

More about Jetty: https://wsa-global.org/winner/jetty/

VIDEO about Jetty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWNcTcyAG2Y&feature=emb_title

3. WheeLog!

WheeLog! is the only interactive real-time map for wheelchair users, making up about 5 to 15% of the total world population. By displaying the TrackLog data of actual wheelchair users on the map, this tool enables wheelchair users and their families to improve their mobility in cities. With the smart phone GPS function, wheelchair users can record places visited and trace the routes retrospectively on WheeLog!. The accumulated TrackLog data provides advance route recommendations with less barriers for wheelchair users.

More about WheeLog: https://wsa-global.org/winner/wheelog/

VIDEO about WheeLog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1EQpTKDPEc&feature=emb_title

4. Universal Structural Health Evaluation and Recording (USHER) System

The need for infrastructure resiliency is crucial in the Philippines due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. USHER is a building structure health-monitoring system with an accelerograph sensor and a web portal system. The patent-pending technology can be installed in all types of buildings, allowing building managers to monitor a building’s structural integrity and ensure economical, hassle-free compliance with government regulations. USHER has tailored the much cheaper system to the local market, while offering a complete solution.

More about (USHER) System: https://wsa-global.org/winner/universal-structural-health-evaluation-and-recording-usher-system/

5. Supercívicos

Supercívicos is a citizen journalism video app crowdsourcing data about public infrastructure and services in Latin American cities. A massive database of urgent problems provides authorities with input to create better public policies. Users generate and classify geo-localized video reports. These can be up-voted via the Supercívicos FB page, enabling citizens to promote civil and human rights, while serving as a link to authorities. A resolved issue is highlighted both before and after, creating a virtuous cycle: citizens report and authorities act.

More about Supercívicos: https://wsa-global.org/winner/supercivics/

VIDEO about Supercívicos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d719sNi-gU&feature=emb_title

6. CHAOS LIVEABILITY AI

CHAOS LIVEABILITY AI Dashboard combines, refines and analyses big data on housing, sustainability and mobility with data on citizen engagement and demographics. The platform is a central data hub bringing together planners, managers, stakeholders and citizens to produce sustainable urban solutions. Engagement-driven applications and third-party APIs process business intelligence for better interactions and decision-making. Every user has access to the dashboard to freely interact with others. Decision-makers obtain valuable project insights and facts.

More about CHAOS LIVEABILITY AI: https://wsa-global.org/winner/chaos-ai/

VIDEO about CHAOS LIVEABILITY AI : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiRCdx8Er38&feature=emb_title

7. Kappo

Kappo Bike helps cities to increase the urban bicycle usage worldwide through gamification and safety navigation for citizens, wellness & CSR for companies and giving cyclists insight and predictive analytics for governments, enabling better planning and higher return on urban infrastructure investments. Every city has 3 main actors -Citizens, Government, and Institutions- Kappo has created tools for each one, which aligns and amplifies the efforts that they are already making to encourage the bicycle usage, ensuring that any city can transform itself into a bike-friendly city within 5 years. Kappo helps  to build the habit of using a bicycle more often as transportation, through a smartphone app, that combines the strategies of successful social games.

More about Kappo: https://wsa-global.org/winner/kappo/

VIDEO about Kappo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWNcTcyAG2Y&feature=emb_title

8. chargeNET

Sri Lanka’s first smart Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solution, powered by IoT technology, fully automated, seamlessly networked operation. Level 2 to fast charging solutions, scalable load balancing mechanisms to facilitate green buildings, with smart access to data at all levels of the operation, across all users. chargeNET mobile app and cloud based web application, enables smart monitoring, payments and station management, with access to over 50 chargers island-wide. With over 2000 users, chargeNETs focus is to expand its services, offer futuristic regional and trans-border infrastructure that is safe, inclusive and accessible to the public for EV/ PHEV charging and green economy.

More about chargeNet: https://wsa-global.org/winner/chargenet/

VIDEO about chargeNET: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B57Wk6L7-ge1cG96MTRoZFN2bWc/view

October 21 – 23, 2020.

At the Digital Social Innovation Days Vienna renowned Social Entrepreneurs, Innovators and experts will share their experiences and discuss the changes, the year 2020 has brought upon the Viennese ecosystem.

You will get inspiration and hands-on expertise in interactive workshops and input sessions!

Participants will benefit from knowledge transfer and hands-on workshops as well as direct-talk “ask me anything” sessions!

Who is it for?

Everybody with a passion for improving society is welcome to the Digital Social Innovation Days Vienna! The livestream (via zoom) is free, upon registration.

The event is going to be conducted in German language.

Register here!

Your benefits

• Meet local & international experts in online-meetings!
• Learn in interactive workshops.
• Level up your skills + network!

3-day Program

October 21: Gov Tech Day

16:00

• Input: "Wien gibt Raum" - Matthias Griessenberger, Stadt Wien
• Diskussion: "Digitale Technologie als Treiber des Wandels oder Stütze der Gesellschaft?" - Walter Palmetshofer, UIV / Matthias Griessenberger, Stadt Wien / Michaela Altziebler, MAVOCO
• Break-out session: "ask me anything" - Michaela Altziebler / Matthias Griessenberger / Walter Palmetshofer

October 22: Edu Tech Day

16:00

• 1-Minute-Pitches: WSA Austria Winners
  Ulrich Müller-Uri, SchuBu
  Franco Lanfur, VARS
  Stefanie Pichler, Fluid Time
  Moritz Neumüller, VRVis
• Input: Österreichs Schul-Messenger: SchoolFox “communication during lockdown” – Julian Breitenecker, Co-Founder Schoolfox
• Input: Österreichs digitale Lernplattform – Bernhard Hofer, Gründer und Geschäftsführer talentify.me
• Input: Schüler*innen in künstlerische Projekte involvieren - Sonja Prlic, Co-Founderin Gold Extra
• Diskussion: "Die Schulen nach dem Jahr 2020" - Michael Fleischhacker, BildungsHub.Wien / Julian Breitenecker, SchoolFox / Bernhard Hofer, talentify.me / Sonja Prlic, Co-Founderin Gold Extra / Walter Khom, bitmedia
• "Ask my anything" - Julian Breitenecker / Bernhard Hofer / Sonja Prlic / Michael Fleischhacker

18:00

• Workshop: EDUX - Bildung gestalten.
  Was ist User Experience? EDU und UX wie passt das zusammen? Wie könnten UX Methodiken im täglichen Schulumfeld unterstützend eingesetzt werden? Und wie macht man eigentlich Toast …?
  Workshop mit Wolf Becvar, User Experience Professional

October 23: Social Entrepreneurship Day

16:30

• Start-Up City Vienna: Gregor-Robert Posch, Wirtschaftsagentur Wien
• 1-Minute-Pitch: WSA Austria Winners
  
  Johannes Meleschnig, Bee-O-Meter
  Anna Greil, Uptraded
  Petra Fasching + Dunja Sporrer, Plaudernetz
• Input: “Goood Mobile - telefonieren als Social Business“ - Claudia Winkler, Co founder & CEO goood network
• Input: “Vollpension wurde digital” - Hannah Lux, CEO Vollpension
• Gespräch: "Warum mache ich das eigentlich?" - Hannah Lux + Claudia Winkler + Kambis Kohansal Vajargah, AWS First
  moderiert von Constance Stockhammer, SENA
• “Ask my anything” - Hannah Lux / Claudia Winkler / Kambis Kohansal Vajargah

18:30

• Workshop: Kreativität, Innovation und Unternehmertum – Juliane Petsch, JUPelle Coaching und Consulting

Digital Social Innovation Days Vienna Speakers

Kindly supported by

Enhancing knowledge transfer and hacking the global gaps are among the top WSA goals. This year, the International Literacy Day (ILD) 2020 will focus on literacy teaching and learning during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, with a focus on the role of educators and changing pedagogies. Since many years, WSA Winners have shown how important literacy programs and their accessibility are, be it for indigenous people in Australia, people with disabilities in South Korea, youngsters in barley accessible regions in Zimbabwe or migrants and refugees in Jordan.

 

Learn about six WSA and WSA European Young Innovators, who are providing digital education and literacy solutions!

1. جنى القراءة Jana Reading

Jana Reading Program is a literacy based program in which is appropriate age level to Early and Elementary childhood education, it meets the needs of 21st century needs, it does not only support our students and overseas, dislocated and displaced children who seek learning Arabic language using interactivity and learning through fun and games, such implementation of technology through learning supports children with special needs and slow readers as well with parental mentoring.

More about Jana reading: wsa-global.org/winner/jana-reading/

VIDEO about Jana reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re9scJDXCvs

2. The Living First Languages Platform (LFLP)

The Living First Language Platform addresses the urgent global need to revitalize, preserve and teach Indigenous Languages through the development of community-driven, interactive and dynamic digital literacy apps. When languages die, we lose more than words. We lose a carrier of culture and the connection we share with ourselves, our tradition and our history. This technology bridges cultural divides, encourages literacy and, most importantly, puts First Languages firmly back in community members’ hands to pass on to the next generation.

More about The Living First Languages Platform (LFLP): wsa-global.org/winner/the-living-first-languages-platform-lflp/

VIDEO about The Living First Languages Platform (LFLP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmtPWTq4uB8

3. DOT

Dot cell is able to bring revolutionary changes, first starting with the world’s first braille smartwatch, the Dot Watch. The Dot Watch, as it receives real-time information from the smartphone, already plays an important role in fighting against the digital divide. As the most affordable assistive tech device, Dot Mini is an educational device with a braille display and a speaker function for learning how to read. It will give students the freedom to not carry around bulky and heavy braille textbooks for each school year.

More about DOT: wsa-global.org/winner/dot-incorporation/

VIDEO about DOT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ZfUH57AYU

4. M-Shule

M-Shule is the first adaptive, mobile learning platform in Africa connecting primary school students to personalized education. Meaning “mobile school” in Swahili, M-Shule’s platform uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalized learning support in math and English via SMS and chatbots, building students’ concept mastery, exam performance, and confidence. M-Shule then shares data and insights with parents, schools, and organizations to power better instruction and collaboration, delivering high quality learning for each child.

More about M-Shule: wsa-global.org/winner/m-shule/

VIDEO about M-Shule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA5gNBQJeW4

5. SammTalk

SammTalk is an online platform connecting secondary school language classes internationally via video chat and online social media, so that students can practice their language skills, make foreign friends, and learn about life in other places. The platform provides teachers with information about their assigned partner class, as well as a schedule and activities, such as shared videos and photos to get started and video chat rooms to talk in real time. Essentially, with SammTalk, groups of students are given digital pen pals and various tasks aimed at encouraging language and cultural exchange, increasing motivation to learn, while developing respect and tolerance for other peoples and places.

More about SammTalk: wsa-global.org/winner/sammtalk/

VIDEO about SammTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvRJEkP1Ulw

6. Mtabe

Mtabe is a start-up using artificial intelligence and SMS technology to deliver learning content to students in Tanzania who cannot afford textbooks and have no Internet access. It is so simple that an average African student needs no new device to get started. Mtabe’s goal is to help young people transform their lives through education, using technology to make learning easier, quicker and more efficient. Secondary school students aged 13-22 simply send their questions via the messaging area of their phone to Mtabe and receive the answer in a few seconds.

More about Mtabe: wsa-global.org/winner/mtabe/

VIDEO about Mtabe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kstvyKBL8ZU

WSA CALL IS OPEN: SEPTEMBER 30!

WSA YOUNG INNOVATORS: OPEN CALL - APPLY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30!

THE EUROPEAN YOUNG INNOVATORS – AN INITIATIVE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF WSA

2 become 1 – WSA and EYA merge to foster sustainable impact and to offer even more support and opportunities for young digital entrepreneurs globally.

A welcome to the EYA community to WSA by WSA Chairman Peter A. Bruck!

We are excited to announce that EYA will become an integral part of the global WSA community, highlighting and encouraging purpose driven digital entrepreneurship.

WSA is a worldwide contest and event series highlighting digital solutions for the UN SDGs. WSA is a truly global community of social entrepreneurs, tech start-ups, government partners, corporates and international organisations, believing in the positive power of technology.
EYA has been a spin-off project of WSA and we are looking forward to connect the European youth community with the global network of WSA.

Applications from European digital creatives are welcome to apply to the WSA Young Innovators. The winners of the European Young Innovators will be celebrated as in former years at the Festival in Graz!

We are looking forward to working with you!

APPLY NOW FOR WSA YOUNG INNOVATORS!

VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY

Since many years, WSA and EYA have been working closely together, and many of the worldwide community have been active in both initiatives.

Hence, what would make more sense as asking those who know both networks?

Odeta Iseviciute and Pihla Rostedt, both Jurors and Mentors of EYA & WSA alike, are sharing their outlook on the new WSA European Young Innovators!

The power lies in the community!

In this new WSA Podcast, the WSA community is sharing their insights and experience, their stories and their passion.
Bringing together the best social entrepreneurs, changemakers and international experts from all across - hacking the gap !

WSA Podcast is powered by NAVE InnovaRock in partnership with WSA. Interviews by Carolina Rossi, WSA National Expert Chile.

Episode 1: Henry Dobson, Founding Director - The Institute of Technological Ethics

In this interview the Australian philosopher and specialist in ethics & technology, Henry Dobson speaks about his concern of the power and influence of technology in the XXI Century and gives his vision on what the future holds for humanity in times of data, Internet and algorithms.

Episode 2: Mathias Haas, CEO SuperSocial

Mathias Haas surpised us with his professional capacity of becoming a social entrepreneur and outstanding storyteller by allowing himself to explore the world and learn from different cultures. He has helped hundreds of young entrepreneurs in Europe to achieve new iniatiatives and believe in themselves with the tools of storytelling and self-empowerment. In this interview he speaks about his time at Red Bull Austria, his business as founder and CEO of SuperSocial (Marketing and Impact Agency) and how he became much more than a profesional moderator and TedX curator: a truly off-beaten-track traveller, a global citizen and social media expert.

Episode 3: John Jin Soo Kim, COO Give. Asia

John serves as the Chief of Staff at GIVE.asia, a crowdfunding start-up for social causes. In this interview he tells his journey on how he has helped GIVE.asia grow to become the largest medical crowdfunding platform in Singapore as well as his personal career as an asian/american professional who is leading global business, as Asian GIVE.asia that has grown to raise over $50M for social enterprises and non-profits.

Episode 4: Damjan Damnjanovic & Ivana Kostic. Health TechLab

From Serbia to the world: In this interview Dr. Ivana Kostić (a physiologist with PhD in Bioengineering Systems), together with her co-founder Damjan Damnjanovic (expert in direct marketing with a Master degree in State Management and Humanitarian Affairs and ex President of Serbian patient Association), talk about how they came together to build Health Tech Lab (HTL) in the city of Belgrade. A story of how technology can unite and become a huge catalyzer in one of the most needed industries in history: Health.

Episode 5: Niki Ernst, "The Business-therapist"

Niki Ernst, originally from Austria opens himself to talk about his history on how he became “The-Business-Therapist”, helping top leaders of companies in the world understand (and shape) the future of their industry. He also talks about his life in San Francisco and how he has founded the "Global Inspiration Tours" that run in Silicon Valley, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Mumbai, and Hong Kong. As a former TEDxAmbassador and coach, he also gives some tips that could make a difference in your career as a global social entrepreneur.

WSA Community - en español!

Listen to the InnovaRock Podcast with WSA National Expert in Dominican Republic Arturo Lopez Valerio, Founder of S!E, WSA Winner 2018 and WSA Grand Jury Tunis member Barbarita Lara, WSA Winner 2019, SUDA - Diego Quintana and TAAL Project & WSA Global Congress 2020, Vienna Speaker Nelly Moffett!

HACK THE GAP - DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE UN SDGS

MORE THAN 550 DELEGATES FROM OVER 65 COUNTRIES

In Vienna, more than 550 international ICT experts got together to exchange how digital solutions drive the achievement of the UN SDGs how digital creativity can make a positive impact on society - the 3 days event offered an intense learning journey and great networking.

13 DIFFERENT INTERACTIVE FORMATS AT THE WSA GLOBAL CONGRESS

1. Pitch Perfect Workshops for Winners
2. WSA Global Experts Reunion
3. Hack The Gender Gap- Welcome Reception at the Technical University Vienna
4. Pitches Africa-India Innovation Challenge by Advantage Austria Innovation
5. Inspiration talks by international and local speakers
6. Hack the Gender Gap - Fishbowl Session
7. Innovation Pitches by WSA Winners
8. WSA Interactive Workshops
9. SDG WorldCafe facilitated by Aiesec Austria
10. WSA Academy - Connect for impact through workshops
11. Vienna city tour
12. Josef Umdasch Research Prize in the framework of WSA
13. WSA Gala and Award Ceremony

33 INNOVATION PITCHES

The WSA Winners of 2019 pitched to an international Jury and the audience how their creative solutions contribute to achieving the UN SDGs. Their solutions not only drive the achievement of the UN SDGs, but also show that digital creativity can make a positive impact on society.

86 GRAND JURY MEMBERS FROM 46 COUNTRIES

World Summit Award invited 86 international jury members to evaluate the pitches of all WSA winning teams. The jury had the challenge to select one overall winner in each of the WSA categories and voted on “presentation”, “product” and “SDGs”.

9 GLOBAL CHAMPIONS

• GOVERNMENT & CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT: CitizenLab /Belgium
• HEALTH & WELL BEING: MJN Next Step for epilepsy seizure prediction /Spain
• LEARNING & EDUCATION: BitDegree / Lithuania
• ENVIRONMENT & GREEN ENERGY: OneSoil / Belarus
• CULTURE & TOURISM: The Living First Languages Platform / Australia
• SMART SETTLEMENTS & URBANIZATION: PPA People´s Protection app / Spain
• BUSINESS & COMMERCE: Socialsuite / Australia
• INCLUSION & EMPOWERMENT: Dot Incorporation / Republic of Korea
• YOUNG INNOVATORS: Virtualahan / Philippines

APPLY FOR WKÖ AFRICA-INDIA INNOVATION CHALLENGE!

Africa and India face significant development challenges but these challenges also come with opportunities. WSA Partner AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA is looking for Austria based startups and corporates, which are looking for possible business opportunities in Africa and India! Apply and pitch at WSA Global Congress 2020 in Vienna!

The WKÖ Africa-India innovation challenge winners will have an opportunity to participate either in "The Nairobi Innovation Week" in Kenya at the beginning of June 2020 or "The Techsparks" conference in Bangalore, India in early October 2020.

"The Nairobi Innovation Week" will provide winners with the new knowledge in the Nairobi strong developing startup ecosystem, as many of African success stories has started exactly here.

But "The Techsparks" is India's leading startup event, gathering startups, executives, policy makers, investors, innovators and media companies. It offers "Investor-Startup Speed ​​Dating Sessions" - possibility to pitch directly in front of selected investors and a huge contact pool. Furthermore, winners will have an opportunity to visit India's largest incubation center T-Hub in Hyderabad.

APPLY UNTIL FEBRUARY 28th!

PRIZES

• 1st PLACE: EUR 3.000,- Travel Expenses for Kenia and EUR 3.000,- for India, kindly sponsord by der Jungen Wirtschaft der WKO.
• 2nd PLACE: EUR 2.000.- Travel Expenses for Kenia, kindly sponsored by Mercer Österreich.
• 3rd PLACE: EUR 1.000.- Travel Expenses for Kenia Kenia and EUR 1.000,- for India, kindly sponsored by austria wirtschaftsservice, aws.

WSA Young Innovators is a special recognition for young social entrepreneurs under 26 years of age, using ICTs to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Together with the WSA winners of each year, they are honored as outstanding digital innovation with social impact.

From over 400 submissions, this years WSA Online Jury had a hard time to select the 5 winners of the WSA Young Innovators.

The 5 winners of the WSA Young Innovators 2019 range from a specialized shuttle serice for women in Bangladesh, to a pioneering virtual school to equip the disadvantaged with digital skills from the Philippines – no matter what the content, it’s the creative use of digital innovation that makes these top 5 exceptional. These young entrepreneurs under the age of 26 demonstrate the creative potential and purpose of youth worldwide.

SEE HERE ALL WSA WINNERS 2019!

Together with the 40 winners of WSA,the winners of the WSA Young Innovators will present their solutions and get awarded at the WSA Global Congress 2019 in Vienna, Austria in March 9-11, 2020.

DIGITAL CONTENT FOR THE UN SDG’s - THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHANGE MAKERS

The WSA Young Innovators is a special recognition for young social entrepreneurs under 26 years of age, using ICTs to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Check out the Young Innovators that made it to the second round of WSA Young Innovators Online Jury!

WSA YOUNG INNOVATORS SHORTLIST 2019

The WSA Young Innovators call closed this year with 407 applications from 91 countries. Read more about the WSA Young innovators Call 2019 Statistics.

WSA ONLINE JURY RESULTS SHOWCASE IMPACT THROUGH DIGITAL CONTENT

More than ever, we need to work on closing global divides - be it in terms of access, gender, knowledge or wealth. Digital innovation and content driven applications can serve as a forceful driver for reaching the UN SDGs.

17 UN SDGs. Over 100 countries. 400 + nominations. 131 shortlisted social digital solutions. - Focusing on digital content, user value, local impact and contribution to the achievement of the UN SDGs, these outstanding best practice solutions have been selected for the WSA Shortlist by the international WSA Online Jury.

Find out what made it to the top 15 - 20 in each WSA category in terms of local solutions using digital content to close the worldwide gaps, make a beneficial impact on their communities.

The WSA shortlist 2019 provides a unique global selection of how digital applications work towards solving local issues - globally!

WSA SHORTLIST 2019

In the next step, the WSA Shortlist will be revieved by the 17 international experts in Tunis to select the 40 WSA Winners - the WSA Grand Jury Meeting.

The Grand Jury meeting is organized in partnership with the Tech Entrepreneurship Initiative ‘Make-IT in Africa’ (GIZ), Tunisian Startups, Cogite, Proxym and Embassy of Austria in Tunis.

WSA Call 2019 Statistics

HACK THE UN SDGs DIGITALLY -

THESE ARE THE WSA NOMINEES OF  2019

17 UN SDGs. Over 100 countries. 400 + nominations. - Focusing on digital content, user value, local impact and contribution to the achievement of the UN SDGs.

Find our what is new in terms of local solutions using digital content to close the worldwide gaps, making a beneficial impact on their communities.

The WSA nominees of 2019 provide a unique global selection of how digital applications work towards solving local issues - globally!

WSA 2019 NOMINEES  - MORE THAN 400  DIGITAL INNOVATIONS FROM OVER 101 COUNTRIES

More than ever, we need to work on closing global divides - be it in terms of access, gender, knowledge or wealth. Digital innovation and content driven applications can serve as a forceful driver for reaching the UN SDG's.

More than 820 digital solutions with social impact from 126 countries have applied this year for the WSA and WSA Young Innovators 2019.

WSA CALL 2019

Every year, the WSA National Experts select locally the best practices of their respective countries to nominate them for the WSA categories - Only the best national digital solutions will be nominated.

This year WSA National Experts from 101 countries nominated 421 social digital solutions. Find here the first stats of this years nominations for each category!

Combining an ongoing series of international events and activities with a global network of start-ups, social entrepreneurs, mentors, jurors, speakers, experts, government leaders, academia and civil society, WSA is an international platform for ICTs Entrepreneurship with impact on society - showcasing best practices worldwide: Here are the WSA 2019 nominations sorted by regions!

WSA 2019 NOMINEES  -  THE ULTIMATE LIST OF WSA 2019 NOMINEES

WSA YOUNG INNOVATORS CALL 2019

The WSA Young Innovators is a special recognition for young social entrepreneurs under 26 years of age, using ICTs to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Together with the WSA winners of each year, they are honored for their outstanding digital innovation with social impact at the WSA Gobal Congress.

The WSA Young Innovators call closed this year with 407 applications from 91 countries. An especially selected youth expert jury will select winners.

Here are the WSA Young Innovators 2019 applications sorted by regions!

Today is #SocialEnterpriseDay  - celebrating and honoring companies, organizations and institutions, that work for the welfare of people and to improve their lives and environment - in short, creating real impact worldwide.

To celebrate and honor those outstanding enterprises, we want to share with you  5 WSA 2018 Winners - Social Enterprises - that you should know about.

1. Clickmedix

WSA Winner 2018

Health & Well Being

ClickMedix provides a configurable mHealth platform that enables health organizations to rapidly deploy customized mobile health programs to serve 10 times more patients while lowering costs. Health organizations can configure the mobile app to enable the patient, or via health workers, to assess health issues via customizable triage algorithms, show education content, suggest treatment options, and if needed, show doctors’ availability for telemedicine consultation or an in-person clinic visit, or sending sms/app reminders.

2. WheeLog!

WSA Winner 2018

Smart Settlements & Urbanization

WheeLog! is the only interactive real-time map for wheelchair users, making up about 5 to 15% of the total world population. By displaying the TrackLog data of actual wheelchair users on the map, this tool enables wheelchair users and their families to improve their mobility in cities. With the smart phone GPS function, wheelchair users can record places visited and trace the routes retrospectively on WheeLog!. The accumulated TrackLog data provides advance route recommendations with less barriers for wheelchair users.

3. RAAJI

WSA Winner 2018

Learning & Education

RAAJI is a chatbot app infused with both Artificial Intelligence and human expertise that answers questions on sex, hygiene and reproductive health for girls and women from developing countries. The issues addressed by RAAJI are common for all women in both rural and urban settings. Human experts, psychologists, lawyers and doctors are alerted the moment AI detects an emergency, allowing them to take over the conversation. With sex and reproductive health considered a taboo in households everywhere, RAAJI has the potential for positive impact globally.

4. Smartify CIC

WSA Winner 2018

Culture & Tourism

Smartify CIC is a free mobile app for tech savvy audiences using image recognition technology to instantly identify artworks scanned onto smartphones. The app provides engaging text, audio and video information through Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence. Smartify CIC users can follow their curiosity on a museum visit while saving favourites in a personal art collection. Museums benefit from a seamless customer journey, breaking down rigid data silos across institutions and engaging some 500,000 users worldwide.

5. Citibeats

WSA Winner 2018

Government & Citizen Engagement

Citibeats offers solutions for smart cities, mobility, tourism and insurance. Citibeats uses an AI-based Analytics Platform to identify social trends and human concerns. It discovers, categorizes and synthesizes peoples’ opinions from large quantities of data, offering qualitative information and insights into public sentiments. The proprietary machine-learning algorithms transform a community’s natural language data into valuable intelligence enabling decision-makers to be more responsive to society.

Impact drivers, social entrepreneur mentors, sustainability and growth managers - the WSA Community has just been enriched with 6 new National Experts from Belgium, Benin, Croatia, Peru and Switzerland.

One major pillar of the WSA community are the WSA National Experts. Meet these excellent representatives of social entrepreneurship and digital innovation who have recently joined the WSA national experts network.

WSA Belgium - Karen Boers and WSA Benin - Abdelaziz Lawani

Karen Boers is the Co-founder and CEO of BeCode.org, retraining hundreds of adults into skilled web developers no matter what is their background. She is building on her experience from Co-Founding & managing the Belgian and European startup associations Startups.be and serving as President at European Startup Network. Karen is a serial social impact entrepreneur and strives to create scalable and sustainable projects with a societal purpose.

Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani is the researcher and serial social entrepreneur whose works tackle the world most pressing problems. He is Fulbright Scholar and Norman Borlaug Fellow, a founding member of Africa Goes Digital, a consortium of 40+ businesses that develop digital solutions in Africa and. Dr. Abdelaziz Lawani is the Director of Benin Flying Labs - a West African hub that uses robotic to address challenges faced by underserved population at the local level.

WSA Croatia - Ana Brigovic and WSA Peru - Jorge Jaime

Jorge Jaime is Growth Manager at Interbank and has worked with Innovation Projects and Startups for the best part of the last decade. His focus is on human centered design and the actual delivery of the product.

Ana Brigovic is managing an acceleration program for impact entrepreneurs and focused on mentoring, in various programs at ACT Grupa - Community of social entrepreneurs and support organization for impact businesses. She believes in meaningful engagement with the market and the empathetic and humane approach and service design.

WSA Switzerland - Maria Ljung and Aimée van der Wolde from SEIF - Driving Social Innovation

Maria Ljung is the Program Lead managing the Europe-wide business plan competition SEIF Awards, with a focus on Tech for Impact. In her role, she looks for European impact entrepreneurs who develop or make innovative use of technologies to tackle social and/or environmental challenges, contributing to the UN SDGs. She has a strong belief in fostering the positive potential of technology to achieve sustainable and scalable impact.

Aimée van der Wolde is Managing Parner at SEIF. She is involved in the Tech for Impact programs and developments and is leading the impact investors circle. She has experience in consulting both institutions and social entrepreneurs on how to collaborate and achieve impact as an independent consultant. She was involved in Social Impact Bonds and innovative finance mechanisms for social entrepreneurs. She is experienced in deal sourcing for Impact Angels and supporting impact startups to become impact investment ready.

The german tech entrepreneurship initiative Make-IT in Africa (GIZ) and WSA joined the expertise and knowhow of social entrepreneur worldwide to create a tangible step by step guideline for tech trendscouting to support entrepreneurship and digital innovation with social impact in Africa.

This toolkit offers 9 steps of becoming a Tech Trendscout, and entails tips and best practices from WSA National Experts and voices from GIZ network on creating local communites and identifying the best digital social projects.

9 Steps to Become a Tech Trendscout*

Make your purpose statement clear: “Why do you do the work you do?”
Know your purpose and passion, and communicate them clearly.

Define the values you want to share and the approach you want to adopt.
Move from “Egosystem” to “Ecosystem”, where the values of collaboration, openness, sharing and trust are central.

Find your target audience and carry out ecosystem mapping.
“Who are the people and organisations in the ecosystem who share these values and resonate with you?” Map all relevant stakeholders related to the digital social innovation ecosystem and start connecting with them.

Go to meetups and host events.
Networking is the first step towards building a community. Go to events hosted by selected stakeholders identified with your mapping and start organising your own events.

Foster collaborations.
Build a community by going beyond networking. It is all about giving, hosting, sharing and collaborating. Try to become a collaboration connector yourself, brokering relations within and outside your ecosystem.

Nurture your community and engage with your stakeholders.
Moderate your community with a community manager or ambassadors. Be sure to create value on a regular basis.

Share knowledge with your ecosystem and community: Content review and thought leadership.
Create and share knowledge through various platforms in an open and collaborative way. Publish content online. Provide workshops and trainings to reinforce the skills of your community members.

Communicate well about what you do.
Ensure that you have a good strategy for communicating with your community. Present your content clearly with a simple, high-quality website and an active social media presence. Use collaborative tools and stay away from jargon.

Find and select the best innovations.
Complete your background knowledge with research on various platforms. Organise contests and awards to select the best innovations, based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework. Make sure to clarify the added value of being part of your ecosystem.

DOWNLOAD TECH TRENDSCOUTING TOOLKIT HERE!

*by MakeIT in Africa and WSA

Impact drivers, social entrepreneurs and startup mentors join the WSA National Expert Community from Bolivia, Cambodia, Czech Republic and Liechtenstein.

One major pillar of the WSA community are the WSA National Experts. Meet these excellent representatives of social entrepreneurship and digital innovation who have recently joined the WSA national experts network.

WSA Cambodia - Chanchamnap Sok and Kuy Chheng Treng from Inclusion+

Chanchamnap Sok and Kuy Chheng Treng are the co-founders of Inclusion+ : a social enterprise startup that focuses on connecting people with disabilities to potential employers and aims to promote a better integration in Cambodia by targeted inspiration, self-development and training. The two Co-founders have more than 10-year experience working in the developmental sector in the context of addressing health related issues for underserved populations and in the financial field and modelling through various industries such as technology, manufacturing, agriculture, etc.

WSA Bolivia - Daniel Ponce Gandarillas, WSA Czech Republic - Lan Anh Vu, WSA Liechtenstein - Thomas Duenser

Daniel Ponce Gandarillas is the Co-Founder and CEO of CityHeroes Inc. (CityTroops), a company based in San Francisco, USA and Bolivia. He was speaker at the United Nations – ECOSOC Innovative communities in NY, recognized as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Innovator under 35, participant at the World Economic Forum's New Champions in China, and part of many international networks such as WEF Global Shapers and Westerwelle entrepreneurs’ community.

Lan Anh Vu is an entrepreneur with an avid interest in politics and fashion. Born in Vietnam, raised in the Czech Republic, educated in the United Kingdom and China. Lan Anh started her career as an auditor and risk management consultant at EY. She is also the founder of Vunela (www.vunela.com), a media education platform that unlocks knowledge from the world's most influential people to educate, inspire and empower the next generation of leaders. Vunela reaches millions of people across 159 countries and over 3400 cities.

Thomas Duenser is Director of the Office for Financial Market Innovation of the Government of Liechtenstein. One of the office’s tasks are fostering the innovation ecosystem in Liechtenstein in order to develop good business framework for companies in or near the financial market. Due to that, Thomas Duenser was also the head of the project “Liechtenstein Blockchain Act”.

Life is all about learning! On the occasion of schools around the world starting again, learn something new with these 7 educational apps!

Learn the latest coding language, finally answer your questions on math and science or explore new cultures! With the right tools and mindset, the pleasure of learning will surprise you, turning out to be simple and exciting - and help you gain your usable and shareable knowledge!

1.ERASE ALL KITTENS

United Kingdom, Winner 2017, WSA Young Innovators

Kittens & Code – two fundamentals the digital world is not imaginable without! Erase All Kittens (E.A.K.) is a web-based platform game. E.A.K. is disruptive as it will be incredibly engaging to girls - we immersed ourselves in the culture of our target audience to invent a gamified, story-driven approach to teach new skills. Players can only level up by writing code as opposed to pressing up and down arrows which is usually the case with most video games.

2. LAB4U

Chile, Winner 2017, Learning & Education

A physics and chemistry experiment in your pocket! Lab4U is democratizing science and changing the way science is taught with a lab in your pocket. The Lab4U transforms mobile devices into scientific instruments to improve the experience of science education.

3. M-SHULE

Kenya, Winner 2018, Learning & Education

Are you based in Kenya? Try M-Shule’s platform. It uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalized learning support in Math and English via SMS and chatbots, enhancing students’ concept mastery, exam performance, and confidence.

4. BYJUS LEARNING APP

India, Winner 2017, Learning & Education

Put that theory in contextual & visual format! BYJU’S is India’s largest education company and the creator of India’s largest learning app for students in classes 4-12 (K-12). They also offer learning programs for exams like JEE, NEET, CAT, IAS, GRE and GMAT.

5.GNIUS CLUB

Mexico, Winner 2017, Learning & Education

The 21^st century is requiring completely new skillsets – sharpen your mind with Gnius Club. The foundations of Gnius Club's digital program are four main subjects: Systems Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Design Thinking and 21st Century Skills. With a unique blended learning approach, they have developed their own content and learning experience, using a gamification strategy.

6. BODY INTERACT

Portugal, Winner 2018, Learning & Education

Already a student? The Body Interact simulator trains medical professionals and students in real time with virtual patients in three different environments – Ambulance, Emergency Room and Outpatient Office across multiple clinical disciplines. This unique and disruptive 3D medical education accelerator combines clinical simulation with problem-based learning, decision-making training and game-design.

7. LYFTA

Finland, Winner 2017, Learning & Education

Exploring real life worldwide digitally?! Lyfta invites children to become global explorers through immersive experiences and engaging human stories. Using desktops, tablets or VR headsets, students learn about the experiences of others through 360 degree interactive stories, short documentary films, VR, AR and rich media articles.

France, Jamaica, Turkey, Uruguay and USA - The truley global network of WSA has just been extended by another 5 countries!

The major pillar of the WSA community are the WSA National Experts. Meet these excellent representatives of social entrepreneurship using digital innovation who have recently joined the WSA national experts network.

Welcoming our new experts from Turkey - Duygu Kambur, France - Craig Vezina and USA - Susan Tenby

Duygu Kambur is the Head of Business development and Strategy at imece - a social innovation platform that brings together individuals and institutions dealing with social issues through various resources, in order to enable them to create innovative and sustainable solutions.

Craig Vezina is the Founder & Executive Director of Z-School. Craig is an internationally respected voice around the Future of Learning, Future of Work & Technology for Good. For nearly two decades, Craig served in leading international schools, most recently as Dean at the American School of Paris. He is the President of VR/AR Association in France and serves on the Expert Panel for Immersive Learning Research Network.

Susan Tenby is the Director of Community and Partnerships at Caravan Studios. She uses her community management skills and social media listening expertise to analyze social networks, build community and generate leads in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

WSA Uruguay - Fernando Brum and Laura Di Giovanni

Mr. Fernando Brum is the President of the Board of Directors at National Research and Innovation Agency of Uruguay (ANII). Since 2005 Mr. Brum actively participates in the definition and execution of public policies on technology and innovation, integrating the founding groups of ANII and Plan Ceibal.

Ms. Laura Di Giovanni is the Head of Cooperation Unit at National Research and Innovation Agency of Uruguay (ANII). Holding multiple degrees and diplomas across several sectors, including accounting, Business administration, and economic territorial development, Laura Di Giovanni has different skills, knowledge of several sectors of activity, orojects and Programs financed by organisms of international cooperation, science and technology.

WSA  Jamaica - Saffrey Brown and Suzanne Shaw from The Leap Co.

Saffrey Brown is the Co-founder and Head of Innovation at The Leap Co., a company founded in Kingston, Jamaica, that develops and invests in impact businesses and social enterprises at the community and regional level. Leading the development of regional partnerships and collaborations, Saffrey focusses on the future of the impact business ecosystem in Jamaica.

Dr. Suzanne Shaw is Co-founder and Head of Impact Investment of The Leap Co., spearheading a US$30m Impact Investment Fund, the first of it's kind in the Caribbean.

On June 18, the world celebrates UN Sustainable Gastronomy Day - emphasizing the need to focus the world’s attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can play.

Sustainable gastronomy means not only cooking meals and eating without large food waste - it also means shopping locally and committing to small and local suppliers, who use sustainable agricultural techniques, reduce energy waste when growing and preparing food, up-cycle food, use recyclable packaging and so much more!

Sustainable gastronomy day also reaffirms that all cultures and civilizations are contributors and crucial enablers of sustainable development.

Sustainable gastronomy can play a role due to its interlinkages with the three dimensions of sustainable development, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting:

• agricultural development;
• food security;
• nutrition;
• sustainable food production; and
• conservation of biodiversity

5 Startups to watch on Sustainable Gastronomy day:

1. yonodesperdicio.org

WSA Winner 2018

yonodesperdicio is the first collaborative consumption web and mobile app to reduce food waste within Spanish households. It includes an awareness-raising component to explain how food waste and the current unsustainable food system affect the fight against hunger and the right to food. Above all, yonodesperdicio is a community of people helping reduce household food waste with simple gestures. The platform also makes it easy to share tips and recipes or create a contact network to ensure food sharing.

2. Geopotato

WSA Winner 2018

Approximately 750,000 small farmers in Bangladesh produce potatoes, accounting for the livelihoods of a significant population. Geopotato is a decision support system (DSS) for the control strategy of Late Blight, a potato disease causing annual yield losses of up to 57%. The platform computes weather data through Automated Weather Stations (AWS) installed at the potato plantations and determines whether environmental conditions are conducive to a potential attack. Potato farmers are provided with advice on preventive measures.

3. Kuza One

WSA Winner 2018

78% of the 570 million farms around the world are classified as smallholder farms. Kuza One is a platform and program offering agri-business mentorship and quality information, credit & marketing to these farmers. A member of the rural community is chosen to become an “agri-entrepreneur” serving 200 farmers with packages of practices and agri-extension services via the portable digital kit. The multi-facetted digital platform provides access to crop advisories, inputs, credit & market info on demand.

4. Plantix

WSA Winner 2016

Plantix is a mobile plant disease guide for gardeners, extension officials and farmers around the globe. By simply taking a picture of their diseased plant and sending it to PEATs server, users get a detection result within seconds - together with customized information on symptoms, triggers, preventive measures and biological as well as chemical control options for his or her problem.

5. Too good to go

WSA Winner 2016

Through the Too Good To Go app and website you can order delicious food from local restaurants, cafes and bakeries, collect it up to an hour before closing time and enjoy on-the-go in an environmentally-friendly TGTG sugarcane box. We’re all about feeling good whilst eating well! Our mission is to save food, save money and save the planet by placing the lost value back onto food as humankind’s most valuable energy resource, and not something that should just be carelessly throw in the bin.