It is well known that it is dangerous to operate a smartphone while driving. However, research shows that two thirds of the Dutch feel pressured to respond immediately to messages – even when behind the wheel – and more than 70% of the people aged between 15 and 24 still call or send messages with their phones while in traffic, a quarter check their social media feed and almost one in five reply to a message while they drive.

In-Traffic Reply detects when you are behind the wheel or on your bike and automatically answers all incoming messages with your pre-determined personalized message while you’re driving. More than 100,000 Dutch people already have In-Traffic Reply on their phone. The focus, this year, is to encourage more people to actively use the solution.

Samsung Electronics, the Dutch government and other partners including ANWB, Veilig Verkeer Nederland and Fietsersbond will continue to support the MONO campaign to raise awareness and promote action against smartphone use while driving.

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

Samsung Electronics today launched a total of three new newsrooms, Samsung Newsroom Netherlands and Samsung Newsroom Belgium (in Flemish and in French), which hubs for local media and consumers to access Samsung-related content.

Samsung Newsroom Netherlands merges Dutch-language resources with content from the Global Newsroom, while Samsung Newsroom Belgium offers Samsung-related content in both Flemish and in French. Both feature the latest updates on the company and its products, as well as information on industry trends, Samsung events, and inspirational stories regarding Samsung’s citizenship initiatives. Visitors to the sites will also enjoy access to a wide collection of multimedia resources including images, videos, infographics and event livestreams.

The platforms will also highlight local projects such as Samsung Electronics Benelux B.V.’s In-Traffic Reply, a smartphone app that enhances road safety by sending automated responses to calls and texts while users are behind the wheel.

The launches of Samsung Newsroom Netherlands and Belgium bring the company’s total number of newsrooms to 19 – a figure that also includes the Global Newsroom, as well as local editions in the U.S., Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, India (in English and in Hindi), Germany, Russia, Mexico, the U.K., Argentina, Malaysia, Italy, South Africa and Spain. Going forward, Samsung plans to expand this network with even more local-language communication channels to bring its vision to a wider media & consumer base around the world.

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.

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.