Upgrade’s three winning graduation projects announced
Muscat - The programme of transforming graduation projects to start-ups in the Information and Communication Technology sector (ICT) ‘Upgrade’ announced the three winning projects that will be incubated.
Out of the nine graduation projects that reached the third evaluation stage of the programme, Upgrade’s three winning projects were Bee App – Transforming the Retail Industry, Anaween - a Personal Mobile Delivery Management Application, and an Augmented Reality System for Tourism in Oman, stated a press release.
Bee App – Transforming the Retail Industry is a project presented by Sultan al Subhi, Alya Said al Shanfari and Hana al Raisi from GUtech, while Anaween - a Personal Mobile Delivery Management Application was submitted by Hamood Sultan al Essai, Faris Juma al Juma, Al Harith Juma al Juma, and Saif al Essai from Cardiff University. An Augmented Reality System for Tourism in Oman was submitted by Ahmed Salim al Belushi, Ahmed Said Saif al Zakwani and Loay Ali Masaaod al Abri from Sultan Qaboos University.
Dr Ali al Shidhani, director of Research Centres at The Research Council (TRC), said, “Announcing winners was an important milestone. Now that the three winners are identified, the real work starts in transforming their graduation projects into successful start-ups. The programme is designed to provide an adequate support system to achieve this goal.”
Mohammed Yahya al Salmi, senior manager of Corporate Communications at Omantel, said, “We are looking forward to see these projects in reality as start-ups that enrich the ICT sector in Oman and support the sultanate’s efforts towards the digital transformation, broad- band Internet and communications networks and hence, creating a positive change in the community.”
He added, “With its strategic partners in Upgrade’s project, Omantel is committed to continue supporting the Omani youth, transform their ideas and visions to reality, provide the innovation and creativity environment in order the reduce the digital gap in the sultanate as planned by Omantel Vision 3.0.”
Each of the three winning graduation projects will get seed funds and incubation for three years at SAS for Entrepreneurship of the Information Technology Authority.
The winning teams will get all the possible assistance to turn the idea of their graduation project to start-up companies through incubation, entrepreneurship consultancy, necessary seed financing, commercial and financial skills and technical advice. They will also get a training opportunity in one of the projectrelated international companies.
The closing ceremony of Upgrade was held at Omantel headquarters in Mawaleh under the patronage of H H Sayyid Taimur bin Asad bin Tariq al Said, assistant secretary general for Communications at TRC.