Student ‘technopreneurs’ vie for SWEEP innovation awards | Gadgets Magazine
Aspiring student ‘technopreneurs’ from various universities
and colleges nationwide will soon get a chance to further develop their data
analytics innovations all while competing for PHP 1 million worth of prizes as
Smart announced the Top 20 teams that will on to the semi-final round of the
annual SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards.
Now on its 16th run, this year’s competition has
the theme #DrivenByData: Data Analytics in Action. Considered by many
industries as the “modern oil” data analytics involves the collection and
processing of data to aid decision-makers in creating businesses, minimizing
costs, improving service and productivity, and boosting revenues.
Representatives from the wireless service provider and its
parent company PLDT, as well as partners from Philippine Development Foundation
(PhilDev), Eskwelabs, and Timefree Innovations judged over a hundred entries
submitted by colleges and universities nationwide where contestants used data analytics
to help address real-life problems.
The top 20 entries include bids from Ateneo de Manila
University, Bicol University – Polangui Campus, Camarines Sur Polytechnic
Colleges, De La Salle Lipa, Malayan Colleges Laguna, Polytechnic University of
the Philippines – Sto. Tomas Batangas, Technological University of the
Philippines, University of the Cordilleras, Asian College, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University, La Salle University – Ozamiz, University of Immaculate Conception,
University of San Jose – Recoletos, and University of Southeastern Philippines.
Team members from the 20 shortlisted innovations will be trained
further at a boot camp in Manila this March. After the boot camp, the
semi-finalists will undergo a validation to trim down the selection to 10 grand
finalists. Final judging and awarding will be held in May.
Launched in 2004,
the SWEEP Awards is an annual competition that encourages innovation and
excellence in wireless applications development among students of tertiary
schools. It is open to students who are currently enrolled in Information
Technology, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Engineering,
Computer Science, and other related courses. With a maximum of five members,
team composition is highly suggested to represent various disciplines of
Engineering, IT, Business, and Marketing, as each entry should have a
supporting business plan.
Short for Smart
Wireless Engineering Education Program, SWEEP is an industry-academe linkage
program with a network of 36 colleges and universities all over the country
that offer ECE and IT courses. For 17 years, Smart has partnered with
these schools to help them produce industry-ready graduates or technopreneurs
by leveraging on its network, infrastructure and technologies.
To-date, SWEEP has
trained more than 36,000 students and teachers, with over 1,000 graduates
directly hired by Smart.
For more information on SWEEP, visit facebook.com/sweepschools or facebook.com/smartcommunities.