The three-day event brought together 12 teams of engineering, design and art students from MIT, Harvard and Wellesley College. Each team was challenged to create a novel projection concept and a working prototype that addressed real problems in the lifestyle and wellness space.

Following in the spirit of William J. Mitchell, the former dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, the hackathon utilized an interdisciplinary approach, enabling students to utilize a variety of skills from different fields.

A Collaborative Effort Between Students and Samsung

Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, leads the development of future technologies for the company’s Device eXperience (DX) Division and is constantly challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries. Based on this philosophy, the hackathon challenged students to push themselves by breaking down the walls between various disciplines. The hackathon also allowed Samsung to connect with students by providing new opportunities for them to ideate, innovate and bring their ideas to life.

Younger generations of students have fresh perspectives and creative ideas on how to solve problems facing society. Taking inspiration from this, Samsung’s Research hopes to foster an environment where diversity and creativity can thrive, leading to great and sometimes unexpected solutions.

The hackathon was mutually beneficial for both students and Samsung. Students were able to learn more about Samsung Research by utilizing the company’s resources and facilities, helping them to learn and build relationships with others. Samsung was also able to attract talented students, further solidifying its position as a global company.

Expanding the Future of Wellness Through Student Innovation

After a long weekend of hacking, students shared their concepts and prototypes with E&I designers and MIT student mentors and Samsung executives including Dr. Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research and Dr. Federico Casalegno, EVP and Head of E&I Lab. Teams were judged on their data and research, prototypes, story, impact and overall uniqueness.

Through a variety of angles and thought-provoking ideas, each team created a unique solution to address problems in the lifestyle space. From utilizing projection to connect people through storytelling to creating virtual cooking experiences, many inspirational and innovative ideas were displayed at the hackathon.

Summary

• Samsung Electronics helped organize the BeMore Start-Up Camp at MolenGeek, a public-private partnership to empower young entrepreneurs in Molenbeek, Belgium
• About 100 young creators from Belgium and Morocco participated, coming up with 11 projects at the end of the hackathon-like event
• Some of these projects will be continued at MolenGeek; some will be followed up in Morocco
• Samsung continues to help MolenGeek encourage young people to experiment with technology and entrepreneurship

Affordable 3D-printed microscopes for grade-school biology classes; a motorcycle helmet with an integrated camera and safety lights; a virtual 3D-preview clothing fitting app – these were some of the proposals from a hackathon that involved about 100 young creators from Belgium and Morocco.

Participants pose for a group shot outside MolenGeek after the BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp

BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp

About two weeks ago, June 22 through 24, the BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp took place at MolenGeek, a unique workspace for young entrepreneurs. With the objective of mashing ideas and technology to build prototypes and set up tech start-ups, the event resulted in 11 projects being presented before the jury at the end of the hackathon weekend. Some of these projects will be continued at MolenGeek; some will be followed up in Morocco.

Team Pantin, who came up with a digital shopping app including a virtual fashion preview solution, discusses their project during the BeMor(e) hackathon

Geekoscope was the winner of this hackathon. Led by a young biology teacher under a strict budget, the team devised a smart, affordable, 3D-printed microscope. Knowing that ‘real’ microscopes can be expensive, they came up with a cost-efficient alternative substituting the various lenses and moving parts of a microscope with a now-ubiquitous smartphone. The microscope is also to be environmentally sustainable, using 3D-printed, recycled plastic.

Geekoscope, using a smartphone as the core enabler, can be controlled through the camera app

Eyelight came in second with an idea for a safety enhancing add-on for motorcycle helmets with smarter safety features. The device is to latch on to motorcycle helmets like an octopus and to feature an integrated camera to function as a dash-cam for the rider as well as fluorescent lights to function as brake- and turn-signals. 3^rd-placed Pantin focused on creating an online fashion shop based on an app. This app, allows you to insert your body measurements, which allows the app to provide a 3D preview and suggest items that fits best.

EyeLight presents their solution at the BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp

The majority of the projects proposed at BeMor(e) will continue development at the MolenGeek workspace. After further development, some of these projects will form the Belgian delegation of the MolenGeek and BeMor(e) Startup Camp that will travel to Morocco in December to continue their journeys.

BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp was supported by various players in the tech field including Samsung Electronics and the Belgian Government. Start Up Maroc, an organization that promotes startups in Morocco, and MinAjliki, a Moroccan organization promoting young female entrepreneurs, also partnered in the event as many people in Molenbeek trace their roots to Morocco.

MolenGeek: Nurturing Young Entrepreneurs in Molenbeek

MolenGeek has turned into a beacon of hope for young adults in a neighborhood once tied to terrorism. Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, a municipality located west of the City of Brussels, is being transformed into a seedbed of innovation thanks to the collective efforts from the local government, tech companies like Samsung Electronics and, most importantly, its energetic young citizens of all ethnic backgrounds, genders and religions.

In September, 2017 the initiative was presented as a best practice case study in the contribution of a public-private partnership to achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

MolenGeek continues to engage young innovators through its workspace, start-up incubation programs, hackathons and education programs like its monthly Coding Week events. Since its opening in January, 2017, MolenGeek has engaged more than a thousand young adults.^*

“We support MolenGeek and joint-events like the BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp because we want to foster entrepreneurship among young people,” said Aron Wils, Samsung Electronics Benelux. “They are the future of our society and we’re very glad to see the human-centric technologies they’d like to bring to make people’s lives better.”

Additional Images

A BeMor(e) banner greets participants to MolenGeek

About 100 young creators from Belgium and Morocco participated in the MolenGeek BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp

BeMor(e) participants discuss potential solutions during the hackathon

Team Geekoscope discuss the design of their smartphone-powered, 3D-printed microscope for biology classrooms

Team Pantin presents their project to the jury and participants of the MolenGeek BeMor(e) Start-Up Camp

EyeLight is to be placed on a motorcycle helmet like an octopus

^* As of June, 2018

MolenGeek, a relatively new initiative born from a public-private partnership, is no ordinary workspace. Here, young entrepreneurs in the neighborhood can use the space to launch their own innovative startup, while being surrounded by like-minded participants and having access to professional training resources.

This initiative brings positive hope for all young people of Molenbeek, a neighborhood that was once tied to terrorism, most recently after the 2016 bombings in Brussels. In fact, key national Belgian media have reported how Molenbeek’s young citizens of all ethnic backgrounds, genders and religions are harnessing their potential to build a brighter future, through projects like MolenGeek. These projects will hopefully help reduce the high youth unemployment rate in the area – which now exceeds 30 percent. A whopping 136 young entrepreneurs have already joined MolenGeek, and are actively building their own projects and cultivating their skills through various training programs.

In the coming months, the center is expected to offer a host of new programs for participants of different age groups. While the majority of the MolenGeek community is over the age of 18, children between 7 and 12 will soon be able to attend digital workshops, while youngsters between 12 and 18 can join the Supercoders program, where they can learn more about coding.

Additionally, regular Hackathon events will continue to be held, allowing young minds to collaborate to create new products and services that can help alleviate societal challenges. Last year, the projects were centered on improving emergency services and facilitating mobility for people with disabilities. In 2017, they will turn their focus to creating a circular economy and enhancing education.

In this way, MolenGeek is not only tackling youth unemployment but also empowering participants to use their skills and knowledge to build a better world.

On January 13, one year of hard work culminated in the official inauguration of the business center. During the ceremony, key representatives of the public-private partnership behind MolenGeek, such as Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Agenda Alexander De Croo and United States Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer, applauded the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the center’s young talents, and acknowledged the added value of its corporate partnerships.

The members of the MolenGeek community were eager to present the products of their work, such as a virtual reality app to simulate the challenges that people with disabilities experience when using public transport.

While the federal government backs these creative minds with considerable support for the new business center, companies like Samsung and Google are helping out by bringing in logistic support and digital expertise.Samsung will not only support the MolenGeek community with its products, but also through the sharing of the knowledge and experience of its employees. By engaging its experts, Samsung hopes to help train the young talents at MolenGeek about the newest trends in the digital technology sector, and coach them while they develop their ideas in key digital fields such as the Internet of Things.

“Samsung, as a corporate citizen, is pleased to help young people gain valuable skills that will help them find a job in the 21st century, while also inspiring, empowering and cooperating with young digital entrepreneurs,” said Hoon Chung, President of Samsung Electronics Benelux.

Through its partnership with MolenGeek, Samsung remains committed to empowering the young people of the world to grow as entrepreneurs and to become leaders of innovation in society.