Fostering Future Talent Around the World: The Story of Samsung Innovation Campus

Samsung Electronics operates various technology-based education programs to nurture young talent that is capable of leading society in the future. One of these programs is Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), which helps young people from all over the world learn about key technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), as well as preparing them and providing opportunities for them in their careers.

SIC provides 240 hours of education on key information and communications technologies (ICT) for young people aged between 18 to 25, as well as young people who are currently jobseekers. The program offers practical skills that can help young people improve their capabilities and subsequently find a job suited to these capabilities.

SIC currently operates in 23 countries around the world, and approximately 160,000 students have gone through a SIC program as of 2020. Samsung Global Newsroom got to know some SIC program graduates from Russia, Turkey and Spain in order to learn more about the SIC experience and achievements it can entail.

Developing a Smart Pill Dispenser with IoT Technology: Vladimir from SIC in Russia

Since 2014, Samsung Electronics had offered Samsung IT School for high school students and Samsung IT Academy for college students in Russia. Building on the educational know-how and successful operation of these programs, SIC was established in 2019.

Vladimir, a graduate of SIC, has developed a pill dispenser called Autopill based on the knowledge he gained while studying at SIC. It is a smart device that automatically dispenses the right dosage of medicine according to a set schedule.

“I’ve believed for a long time how beneficial it would be if there was a device that automatically dispenses pills for everyday use, and I was also very interested in IoT solutions,” explained Vladimir. “After taking IoT classes at SIC, I developed Autopill by applying an IoT solution to a 3D printed prototype.”

SIC provided Vladimir with the right opportunities to be able to develop this smart device designed to solve an issue encountered often in everyday life. After building a foundation through the IoT education course at SIC, conducting consumer research and going through a trial and error process, his solution Autopill was born. Vladimir subsequently won the Samsung Innovation Campus Grand Prix in 2020 for his smart solution.

“I was able to develop technology that everyday users actually want thanks to SIC, and I learned to observe and understand technology from various perspectives,” noted Vladimir. Even though he has now finished his education program, he occasionally helps out students at SIC as a mentor and also continues to further develop Autopill. “My next goal is to upgrade the smart pill dispenser Autopill so that it can be part of the SmartThings Home Solution,” he said.

Solving the Water Shortage Issue with IoT Technology: The 3W Project of SIC Students in Turkey

In order to address the water shortage issue in Turkey, four university students came together to help solve the problem: Asli and Oğuzhan from Boğaziçi University, Bilge from Marmara University and Mert from Doğuş University.

These four university students learnt that the water usage of Turkish households accounts for 11% of the entire nation’s water usage, leading them to develop the Watch Water & World (3W) Project. The 3W Project is a system that lets users participate in the process of saving water by turning it into a game. The 3W Project also comes with a smart water meter feature that utilizes IoT technology, allowing users to track their water usage and easily access their water bill and payment history in order to motivate them to conserve their water usage.

Regarding the establishment of the 3W project, SIC played a big role in getting it started. “I was able to gain information regarding IoT technology in a short amount of time thanks to the classes I took at SIC,” said Asli. “Although I majored in computer science, the reason we could develop the IoT prototype in such a short amount of time was the growth of our capabilities granted by SIC,” she added. “It was very rewarding because all of us in the team were able to think deeply about the issues in our community while working on this project.”

Starting a New Life by Establishing an IT Startup: Araya from SIC in Spain

Some of the SIC courses offered in Spain focus on fostering female IT talent. As a result, a total of 2,300 female graduates of SIC have become IT experts as of 2020.

Araya is one of the entrepreneurs who established her career in ICT field after going through the SIC program. Having previously worked at a consulting firm as a financial manager, Araya came to SIC with simply a desire to learn more about the IT and communications industry. Although she began her course with no background knowledge of software, she managed to successfully complete a challenging 9-month program through dedicated effort and perseverance and subsequently made the decision to change her career path and established an AI startup.

“SIC was an opportunity to jump into the field of ICT and a shortcut for developing practical skills,” said Araya. She is currently involved in actively supporting other aspiring female IT experts as a coordinator at SIC. “The unique advantage of SIC is that it provides you with so much knowledge that can be applied across various fields including design, marketing, and finance even if you are not a developer,” she added. “As long as you don’t limit yourself in terms of how much you can achieve, then SIC is the program where you can realize what you want.”

Samsung is continuing to grow SIC so that more young people from even more countries around the world can develop their ICT capabilities. This year, SIC is set to provide education to over 30,000 students in 28 countries. SIC is also currently working on developing a big data curriculum, which is set to be available to students starting from 2022.

Under the company’s overarching CSR vision of “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People”, Samsung will continue to support their future generation to unleash their full potential and pioneer positive changes for all through education, support and more.