Dubai, UAE, June 11, 2024 | Samsung Electronics MENA, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), awarded the winners of the ACT28 AI for Climate Hackathon at a special ceremony held as part of AI Retreat 2024. The three winning projects, Pestipilot AI from the UAE, Gamified AI Recycling Bin for Efficient Waste Segregation from Saudi Arabia, and Green Finance Navigator from Turkey were recognized for their innovative application of AI and other advanced technologies to address climate change challenges.

Pestipilot AI is an AI-powered drone designed for crop pesticide control. Utilizing advanced deep learning-based image classification, it identifies areas with poor crop quality caused by issues such as insect infestations or inappropriate pesticide use. The accompanying Pesticide Control App offers precise recommendations for pesticide usage, promoting optimal crop health. The app also provides transparent reports, aiding farmers in making informed decisions and ensuring compliance with agricultural regulations.

The Gamified AI Recycling Bin enhances waste sorting and recycling through AI-powered computer vision and a gamified reward system, fostering environmental sustainability and community engagement. The project includes waste containers equipped with advanced computer vision systems, a gamified mobile app for user engagement, and partnerships with local municipalities and recycling facilities.

Green Finance Navigator is an innovative platform aimed at streamlining and enhancing climate finance and sustainable investment processes. The solution addresses critical challenges in efficiently allocating funds to high-impact climate projects, providing reliable and actionable information for sustainable investments, and offering comprehensive tools for project management and stakeholder collaboration.

The hackathon, announced on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai in 2023, attracted more than 50 entries from seven countries. Ten teams of three members each were shortlisted for the final round, where they presented before judges drawn from Samsung and UNDP during Demo Day on May 26.

Participants employed various cutting-edge technologies, including AI and ML for data-driven solutions, IoT for real-time monitoring, Blockchain for transparent climate finance, Data Analytics and Visualization for actionable insights, and Geospatial Technologies for location-based applications. Seasoned mentors from Generation17 -a Samsung-UNDP partnership to magnify young leaders' voices, stories and ingenuity to help achieve SDGs-  including Nora Altwaijri from Saudi Arabia and Oğuz Ergen from Turkey, were at hand to guide and support participants throughout the hackathon.

Susanne Dam-Hansen, Regional Hub Manager a.i. of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for the Arab States said: "We are thrilled with the innovative solutions developed by the winning teams. Their creativity and expertise in leveraging AI and other advanced technologies to tackle climate change challenges is truly commendable. In partnership with Samsung, UNDP remains committed to empowering the next generation of innovators to drive positive change through technology." 

"Samsung and UNDP’s joint partnership for AI for Climate Action Hackathon exemplifies how businesses can support innovative solutions for climate change. The ACT28 Hackathon showcases our commitment to fostering impactful climate action by harnessing the creativity and passion of young innovators. We are devoted to continuing initiatives like the ACT Hackathon to help young people to ideate business solutions to sustainable development problems." said Sahba Sobhani, Director of UNDP’s Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development.

Omar Saheb, Regional VP of Marketing and Online Business, Samsung Electronics MENA, said, "We are thrilled with the innovative solutions developed by the winning teams from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Their creativity and expertise in leveraging AI and other advanced technologies to tackle climate change challenges is truly commendable. Samsung remains committed to empowering the next generation of innovators to drive positive change through technology."

Layanah Baghdadi, Khaled Mhirsi and Elif Nur Afsar from the winning UAE Team, said, "We are honored to be recognized for our work in developing a solution that can contribute to the fight against climate change. This hackathon has been an incredible opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals and create something truly impactful."

Emre Sertdemir and Mehmet Besenk from Turkiye Winning Team, shared "The ACT28 Hackathon gave us an invaluable platform to share our ideas, experiment, and develop a solution for climate action. We are committed to further enhancing the Green Finance Tracker and hope to make significant contributions to sustainable finance."

The Winning Saudi Arabia Team, Ahmad Nayfeh, Ali Alloush and Mohammed Fares stated, “We hope that our Gamified AI Recycling Bin for Efficient Waste Segregation solution will raise awareness both in the Gulf Region and around the globe. The hackathon enabled us to deepen our understanding of Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and mobile technologies, allowing us to see the bigger picture and the immense potential of our solution.'"

The AI Retreat 2024 is organized by the Dubai Center for AI Applications in collaboration with the National Program for Artificial Intelligence under the framework of the annual Dubai Universal Blueprint for Artificial Intelligence (DUB.AI). The event brought together over 1,000 AI experts and specialists to support AI adoption across sectors and help position Dubai as a global leader in advancing AI. 

***********

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, home appliances, network systems, memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions and delivering a seamless connected experience through its SmartThings ecosystem and open collaboration with partners. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. www.undp.org