Above: The winning team (photo credit Eyal Gaziel)
Late last week, at an event held at Google’s Tel Aviv offices, six
new and unique applications invented by six student teams from BGU were
presented with one purpose: streamlining the technology of the services in the
public sector.
At the live event, the participating projects were revealed and the Feed-Me
application project which aims to prevent food waste, was declared the winner.
Members of the winning team, each received a cash prize.
The winning team was chosen by a panel which included Yair Frank,
Head of ICT Authority at the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel; Dror
Margalit, CTO of Digital Israel; Prof. Chen Avin, Department of Communication
Systems Engineering at BGU; Prof. Dan Blumberg, VP and Dean for Research and
Development at BGU; Doron Avni, VP for Public Policy Europe, Africa and the
Middle East, Google; Zachi Schnarch, Deputy CEO, Israel Innovation
Authority; Prof. Jihad El Sana, Department of Computer Science at BGU; and
Prof. Bracha Shapiro, Head of the Department of Information Systems
Engineering at BGU.
In addition to the winning application, the following also competed:
In second place was MediGo, an application that allows users to create alerts for
treatments and tests that should be carried out and helps increase motivation
to follow the treatments by accumulating points, and competing with other
patients (anonymously). The application has drawn a lot of attention and is
currently being used by Maccabi healthcare services in a pilot scheme.
Amutapp took third place , an application designed to provide accessibility to services provided by
NPO's and the third sector. By using the application,
individuals can receive a service from the relevant organization. Every organization can register and log on to
a database that is connected to an application in the
form of a conversation (chat-bot) which recognizes the need of the user and connects
him with the relevant organization.
Veco Receipt moves invoices to smartphones, stores them and any credits
and lets consumers compare prices and view statistics on his needs, while businesses will get a marketing channel
based on data.
Any Way provides a comprehensive solution for availing products and services
in the public sector – which is perceived as something inaccessible, cumbersome
and confusing. The navigation app calculates the shortest path to the destination
and inside the building. No matter where you are, the desired item is located.
ITC (Intelligent Traffic Control) is a system which reduces the
average waiting time at traffic lights using a smart algorithm which calculates
in real time the optimal time in any lane to a green light.
Prof. Dan Blumberg commented "The subject of entrepreneurship
is part of the DNA of everyone who comes to study at Ben-Gurion University. The
University was established with a mandate to create a demographic change and
create a change, things have indeed changed but we're still very responsive to
the economic and social needs of the Negev. Entrepreneurship has a key role. In
this framework new mechanisms have been established within the University and
beyond. We believe that this important enterprise in collaboration with Google
will continue for many years to come and in addition students will upgrade Israeli
economy and society ".
The project was led and initiated by Sagi Langer, Director of
academic development and marketing at BGU; Avi Bar, Director of public policy at
Google; academic and technological guidance for students was given by Dr. Arnon
Sturm, Mageed Kassis post-doctoral fellow in computer science supervised by Prof.
Jihad El Sana and Avi Hayon.
BGU students competed as interdisciplinary teams from various departments at
the University, with an emphasis on computer science, software engineering,
information systems engineering, geography, medicine, economics, psychology and
more.
