13.09.2023

The winners of the finals of Solve for Tomorrow, a startup competition from Samsung Electronics, have been identified.

The 2023 summer course, where 115 talented Kazakhstani high school students received professional training, has been successfully completed.

The first place and a prize of 4 million tenge was received by Shabyt team from Astana, which presented the robot firefighter AIDAHAR that can extinguish fire areas to where access for firefighters is difficult.

The Factory of Future IT Professionals, a project of Samsung Electronics, has successfully completed the 2023 summer course on practical training for young startupers.

On September 9, the final contest of the republican competition Solve for Tomorrow was held with Kazakhstani high school students participation. This social project has been implemented in Kazakhstan for the third year now under the management of Samsung Electronics. With AYALA private Charity Foundation as its partner. Solve for Tomorrow program was created in 2009 in the United States and has since expanded to 23 countries around the world.

SFT participants have been working on their startups for six months, from idea to direct implementation. Their task is to come up with a solution to an acute social issue using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This year, more than 1,600 schoolchildren applied for participation, of whom 115 people representing 33 teams were selected for the semi-finals. Nine teams have made it to the finals and were invited to Astana to defend their projects.

The defense and award ceremony were held at Astana IT University, where the honored guests: competent members of the jury, representatives of ministries and the management of Samsung Electronics in Kazakhstan have been invited. This year, among the selected topics included such issues as the spread of infections among the population, availability of Braille printers, spread of fires, orientation problems for blind people, helping people with autism and others.

Following a constructive discussion, the jury members made a difficult choice and determined the winners: 1st place and a prize of 4 million tenge were awarded to Shabyt team from Astana. The guys presented the robot firefighter AIDAHAR that can extinguish fire areas to where access for firefighters is difficult. Second place and 2.5 million were awarded to Full Speed team who came from Karaganda and proposed a solution to the issue of availability of automated wheelchairs for those who need them. This year, two teams were awarded the third place and KZT 1 million each: Balashaqim from Almaty and IMA group from Taraz. Balashaqim presented an application for children with autism that will help them understand the emotions of others, and IMA group showed the first Braille printer with support for the Kazakh language. The remaining finalists received prizes in the amount of 300,000 tenge. The prize Foundation of the Solve for Tomorrow project in 2023 amounted to more than 10 million tenge.

The winners received a check from the First Vice Minister of Digital Development and Aerospace Industry Kanysh Tuleushin and the First Vice Minister of Higher Education and Science Kamil Akatov.

“The Solve for Tomorrow project has become a platform where participants not only demonstrate their ability for innovative thinking, but also make real changes in the world around them,” noted Kanysh Tuleushin. “You are the leaders of the future, and your contribution to the IT field can change our world for the better.”

Mr. Minki Chu, President of Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia, wished all project participants further success in implementing their ideas that will help improve the lives of people around the world.

Next year, Samsung will announce another enrollment in the Solve for Tomorrow project that will provide talented young people aged 13 to 18 with the opportunity to make own statement and be part of inspiring change.

AYALA Foundation helps Samsung Electronics with the implementation of this project in Kazakhstan.