Africa-Press – Uganda. A groundbreaking solution utilising artificial intelligence to identify optimal locations for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points has emerged as the winner of the prestigious TotalEnergies Uganda rEVolution Hackathon (TBKN).
The TBKN team’s solution was announced as the winner during an awards ceremony held today in Kampala, marking the culmination of a three-month hackathon challenge initiated by TotalEnergies Uganda.
The challenge aimed to provide young Ugandans with an opportunity to propose solutions that would assist in identifying the best locations for EV charging points in Kampala.
TBKN was awarded a cash prize of Shs 18.5 million, while the first runners-up, ISBAT University, received Shs 11,100,000.
Data Knight and Shalom tied for third place, each receiving Shs 3.7 million.
“Addressing the challenge of carbon neutrality today requires a collective focus on innovation. In Uganda, our company is actively involved in the e-mobility think tank and supports innovation in line with e-mobility,” stated Philippe Groueix, general manager of TotalEnergies EP Uganda and Country Chair of TotalEnergies in Uganda.
The company implemented the e-mobility rEVolution Hackathon challenge to provide a platform for youth to propose innovative ideas that can facilitate e-mobility in Kampala, aligning with their commitment to youth inclusion.
Over 400 Ugandans aged between 18 and 45 submitted applications to participate in the challenge, which was implemented by Outbox Uganda on behalf of TotalEnergies Uganda from July to September 2023.
“This hackathon demonstrated that young people still have a role to play in addressing societal challenges in partnership with the private sector. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that the selected solutions can be considered for operationalization by TotalEnergies in Uganda and other mobility actors in Uganda,” emphasized Richard Zulu, Team Principal at Outbox Uganda.
After an initial evaluation of all submissions, a shortlist of 16 teams, consisting of four members each, was formed.
These teams were tasked with proposing innovative ideas using data on Kampala city’s road, electricity, and traffic networks.
The teams received mentorship and coaching to refine their ideas before presenting them to a panel of judges.
The proposals were evaluated based on criteria such as the innovativeness of ideas, team composition, presentation, and business fit.
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