Innovative ideas for the new digital era were showcased at the first COSMOTE HACKATHON, the marathon innovation competition organized with the aim of giving a platform to young talented people.
Mr. George Athanasopoulos, Chief Officer of IT Operations & Systems of OTE Group, stated in this regard: "With COSMOTE HACKATHON we wanted to prove that opportunities do not only exist abroad. They exist in Greece as well. We create such opportunities at OTE Group. Because we believe in technology and innovation as a vehicle for a better world. Congratulations to all the children who took part in the first COSMOTE HACKATHON. All the ideas they presented were excellent. And this fills us with optimism for the future of the country."
The winners
The 1stprize € , along with a cash prize of 5,000, was awarded to the “ Loceye ” team for the idea “Eye Tracking Analysis Software”. This is the first cross-platform application that tracks the iris of the eye and analyzes the way we observe the environment, with minimal hardware requirements. The solution can be used for marketing applications, but also by HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and cognitive psychology researchers. The team consists of Konstantinos Alexoglou, Grigoris Giannakopoulos, Iasonas Paraskevopoulos, Anastasia Pachni Tsitiridou and Dimitrios Raptis.
The 2ndprize awarded to the team “Kiiim” for the idea “AYLO – Location Based Messaging”. This is an alternative messaging application that allows the user to share multiple messages, written or multimedia, open to all or private, which are accessible to the recipient if they visit a specific location. The team consists of Christos Koutsouradis and Panos Xenakis, who received SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 devices and SAMSUNG GEAR VR Virtual Reality masks from GERMANO.
The 3rdprize , along with gift certificates worth €300 from GERMAN, was awarded to the team "IRISAI". The team consists of Nikos Voutouras and Giorgos Sarantitis.
In addition, the teams " SentiGeek " with the idea "Products & Services Customer Feedback Analysis" and " SBT " with the idea "Bicycle Gear Shifting Automation" will receive personalized consulting services and mentoring for 6 months from the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support (ACEin) of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB)
The competition
The 14 teams that made it to the final phase worked for more than 26 hours in a specially designed space at OTE Academy, in order to “run the code for the future” and complete their proposal. Specialized mentors from the business and academic community supported the teams, offering practical advice and guidance. At the culmination of the competition, the teams presented their proposals to the 10-member COSMOTE HACKATHON jury, which included Mr. Michalis Tsamaz, President & CEO of OTE Group, Group executives, as well as representatives of the AUEB, which selected the three winning teams.
During the two-day celebration of innovation, participants had the opportunity to experience and use impressive new technologies, such as Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality, in GERMANOS' specially designed experiential room, G-TECH Lounge.
The COSMOTE HACKATHON was implemented in collaboration with the Athens University of Economics and Business and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support (ACEin), with the support of GERMANOS and communication sponsor COSMOTE TV.
