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

The larger MolenGeek initiative has been recognized as a model program that leverages digital technology to alleviate the social challenges of high youth unemployment due to a lack of skill or education opportunities. The initiative has brought about new dynamic and positive attention in Molenbeek, a neighborhood that has typically suffered from high youth unemployment rates of over 30 percent and was once tied to terrorism. Already 25 startups have been launched by young entrepreneurs through the program, and another 156 are on their way. Some 120 students have been trained and found a job through the coding school program, which provides intensive, full-time education for three months on skills that are in high demand like coding for Android platforms.

For its part, Samsung, in partnership with the Belgian government, contributes to the MolenGeek initiative, by providing aspiring young entrepreneurs with the space to launch their own innovative startups and access to professional training resources at the MolenGeek center which opened in January 2017. In addition to technical support through its products, Samsung employees actively participate in events such as a Hackathon and Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge to provide mentorship for future digital entrepreneurs.

The presentation by the founders of the MolenGeek initiative as well as Belgian government and Samsung officials came on the sidelines of this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at an event titled, Technology 4 SDG’s: Digital Innovation for Sustainable Societies, organized by the governments of Belgium and Uganda at UN headquarters in New York.

“The MolenGeek project is an ideal example of how Samsung’s global corporate citizenship goals of promoting education, employment and healthcare, can align with the UN’s SDGs, which includes quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, and partnerships,” said Michiel Dijkman of Corporate Affairs at Samsung Electronics Benelux. “Digital innovation, fueled by public-private partnerships, can be an important aspect of creating a brighter future for youth and creating an inclusive society. In cooperation with model entrepreneurs, local and central governments, media and other corporations, Samsung will continue its ongoing work to empower young people and pave a brighter future for communities.”

The Technology 4 SDG’s event also consisted of an interactive debate, which discussed how to scale-up or replicate the best practices presented. The panel discussion, moderated by Henri Dommel, Director of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, included participants such as Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium; Vincent Bagiire, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT of Uganda; and Robert Kirkpatrick, Director UN Global Pulse; as well as Michiel Dijkman from Samsung Electronics.