Apps For Good initiated the first regional phase of the project, a technological educational program supported by Galp, which challenges the students to create solutions for the existing problems of their communities, with two main goals: the solution must be technological and it must contribute to the sustainable development of communities.
This first "semi-final" took place on Terceira Island, in the Azores, where groups of students from several islands pitched their solutions to a jury, which included representatives of the Azores Business Development Society, the National Association of Computer Science Teachers, and the University of the Azores Regional Direction for Education. In the first stage, the students had a 3-minute pitch of their solutions, followed by a Market Place dynamic, where the jury had the opportunity to learn the projects in more detail.
The Wining Solution
The team which ensured a place in the final event, which will take place on 13th September at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, is the only one representing the Azores islands and comes from the 2nd year of the computer management course of the Ribeira Grande Professional School. SOS Animais is an application which intends to fight animal abandonment by constructing a database for abandoned or lost animals in your area based on their geolocation and identification.
With a well developed prototype nearly ready for usage, and the GDPR and database set up, this group's solution appeared to be the most solid in all areas. Throughout the competition, an online voting is happening simultaneously for the public's choice award. The solution Move in Pico was the big winner of that voting.
This is the first year of this partnership, in which Galp started by launching a challenge to the Apps For Good schools: present technological solutions which promote the energy transition and sustainable mobility and the reduction of the ecological footprint, all of which are strategic pillars of the company. The education, also a central pillar for the company's strategy, is a crucial path to reach sustainability for societies, as well as the use of technology to achieve that very goal.
The next regional qualifier will take place in Valongo, on 28thJune, followed by another one on 2nd July in Lisbon, and in Madeira on 9th July. From the 4 regionals qualifiers, 22 technological solutions will be selected to compete for first place and for a list of prizes, including the development of their respective solution. The final event will be on 13thSeptember, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and will be open to the general public.