New Valley Governorate Co-Launch ‘New Valley Innovates’ Hackathon to Promote Innovation

The first-ever “New Valley Innovates” hackathon was launched, today, in the New Valley Governorate under the academic supervision of the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI).

The hackathon is held within the framework of implementing the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s (MCIT) strategy to foster innovation, build digital capacities, and promote tech-driven entrepreneurship across different governorates, in collaboration with the Governorate.

Empower Local Youth

The hackathon aims to empower local youth and innovators, by providing them with the opportunity to present innovative technological solutions that contribute to addressing local community needs and supporting sustainable development efforts.

Economic Characteristics

This hackathon is organized in light of the New Valley Governorate’s distinctive geographical and economic characteristics, which combine desert and agricultural environments, along with its promising potential in solar energy.

These factors create a conducive environment for implementing innovative technological solutions with direct impact across vital sectors, including smart agriculture, water resource management, renewable energy, community services, and ecotourism and heritage tourism.

Innovation Ecosystem

In this context, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat emphasized that the launch of the “New Valley Innovates” hackathon is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and expand digital empowerment for youth across different governorates.

He underscored that the hackathon serves as a practical platform for transforming creative ideas into applicable technological solutions that address developmental challenges and achieve tangible societal impact.

He highlighted that, through such initiatives, the Ministry seeks to drive digital transformation nationwide and forge partnerships with local authorities and the private sector, thereby contributing to building a robust and sustainable digital economy.

New Valley Innovates

For his part, the New Valley Governor Mohamed El-Zamlout affirmed that the launch of the “New Valley Innovates” hackathon reflects the state’s commitment to empowering youth in remote regions, supporting their creative potential, and opening new horizons for active participation in the development process through the adoption of technology and innovation to serve the local community.

He pointed out that the governorate enjoys promising opportunities across several sectors, particularly agriculture, renewable energy, and tourism.

Innovative Ideas

El-Zamlout noted that the hackathon represents an important platform to discover and transform innovative ideas into executable projects that improve the quality of life and support the local economy.

He also commended the fruitful cooperation with MCIT to create an enabling environment for digital entrepreneurship, providing job opportunities for the governorate's youth in line with the requirements of future careers.

Encourage Youth

It is worth noting that the hackathon aims to encourage youth to leverage technology and innovation to address local challenges, transform creative ideas into actionable projects, promote digital entrepreneurship, and create an enabling environment for collaboration between innovators and the public and private sectors.

Participation

Areas of participation in the hackathon include designing and developing video games that reflect the cultural and heritage identity of the New Valley, in addition to creating various software solutions, including websites, web and mobile applications, and smart management systems that serve local community needs.

Age Groups

The hackathon targets two age groups: university students and graduates aged 18-35 and school students aged 9-18. This aligns with the Ministry’s keenness to promote digital innovation across different age groups, identify tech talents at an early stage, and develop digital capabilities.

Prizes

Winning teams will be awarded financial prizes in recognition of their excellence, with the first place receiving EGP 200,000, the second place EGP 150,000, and the third place EGP 100,000, according to technical evaluation criteria that include innovation, societal impact, applicability, quality of technical solutions, and teamwork.

Training Workshops

The hackathon is scheduled to commence with preparatory training workshops, followed by the submission and aggregation of ideas and the qualification of participating teams, culminating in the final stage.

The closing ceremony, and the announcement of winners, to be held on March 22-26. Furthermore, NTI will provide academic supervision for the hackathon in cooperation with the New Valley Governorate, as part of supporting the innovation ecosystem and building an integrated digital community within the governorate.

To participate in the hackathon, kindly visit the following website.

Source: Press Release