NPCC concludes InnovEd Online Challenge with webinar and award ceremony

Ebène, 27 October 2020: The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) concluded today the InnovEd Online Challenge project with an Award Ceremony that was organised in an entirely virtual setting, marking a touch of innovation in the project prompted by the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The winners in four out of six categories were as follows:

The members of the jury for InnovEd Online Challenge did not select either runner ups or winners in two categories namely Visual Arts and Crafts and Cultural Heritage.

The online award ceremony included two webinars conducted by Mrs. Dina Omar, Senior Project Manager, IBM Egypt who spoke on the theme “Innovation & Entrepreneurship using IBM Digital-Nation Africa Platform” and Mr. Marius Frey, Entrepreneur, Pioneer and Executive Coach based in Switzerland, who spoke on the theme “Experience of an Innovator & Entrepreneur”.

Some 30 projects from 25 secondary schools and Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) centre, participated in the InnovEd Online Challenge that was launched in February this year.

During the confinement and in view of the importance of critical and creative thinking for students, the InnovEd 2020 project was converted to an InnovEd Online Challenge. Likewise, the Innovation clubs which were already set up in different schools, were upgraded into Virtual Innovation Clubs so that students could have access to online contents prior to the resumption of schools.

Students were grouped in different teams that were part of their schools’ Innovation Clubs. The different teams presented their projects to a panel of assessors on 21, 23 and 24 September. This was followed by a CREAThon on 6 and 7 October, which had the objective to convert selected prototypes developed in Innovation Clubs into products or services with the assistance from experts. Some 20 out of the 30 projects reached the level of the CREAThon.

“During such difficult times we can only explore the path of innovation to benefit everybody in the community. Innovation further helps students to use a higher level of thinking to solve problems. It increases your chances to react to changes and discover new opportunities,” the Executive Director of the NPCC, Mr. Ashit Gungah, said in his welcome note. “This is why the InnovEd project holds a significant importance for the NPCC. The project aims at promoting and instilling creative, critical and innovative thinking among students with a view to better prepare you to join the world of work,” he further added.

“I urge you to explore Intelligent Production powered by Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and cloud technology. The next wave of change in SMEs will be driven by innovation using Industry 4.0 technologies and we need young talents to make it feasible,” the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Honorable Soomilduth Bholah said in his speech at the beginning of the online event.

Honorable Leela Devi Dookun Luchoomun, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, said in her keynote address, “let us not forget that things evolve so fast today thanks to science and man-made technology. There are a number of factors that have emerged favoring innovation: globalisation, digital technology, the means for sustainable growth and stability are some of these. So it augurs well for schools to become think-tank like nurseries for change and transformation.”

InnovEd 2020 had a particular focus on the Innovation Clubs, which the NPCC intends to develop further into a permanent structure that will exist over and above yearly InnovEd editions and that will encourage students to continue innovating. The Clubs will serve as a think-tank on creativity and innovation and at the same time, provide a framework for students to develop their skills in creativity and innovation.

Moreover, the InnovEd Online Challenge again built on the theory of Multiple Intelligences along with themes targeting the creative industries. The themes were:

• Interactive Media,

• Cultural Heritage,

• Performing Arts,

• Visual Arts and Craft,

• Design and

• Languages and Publishing.

Watch the video on the InnovEd Online Challenge Award and Webinar below: