The ALBICT association opened the 12th edition of the Albanian ICT Awards nationwide technology competition among over 100 guests and participants from the world of academia, business, public administration, entrepreneurship, innovation and the technology community from Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia.
Creating a space where innovation can flourish and manifest and bringing together the best minds from the technology industry, this competition is organized by the ALBICT Association and ICTSMedia , bringing together every year more than 100 founders, young entrepreneurs, young enthusiasts and experts of different fields of technology from the Albanian-speaking regions. Over 300 events, 2500 competitors and 200 finalists have been part of it since the first edition.
Applications are open until 31 March 2024 at 23:59 and can only be made online by visiting https://ictawards.org/2023/
Cultivating an open-minded spirit and a willingness to embrace ideas, the Albanian ICT Awards identified itself with the mission of researching and discovering innovative solutions that would take the Albanian-wide ecosystem of technology and innovation to new heights.
In this event, the Minister of Economy, Mr. Blendi Gonxhja , Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate, Mrs. Delina Ibrahimaj and the Deputy Mayor of Tirana, Mrs. Keti Luarasi and co-founder of the Albanian ICT Awards Mr. Kushtrim Shala .
The opening event of the 12th edition was joined by partners and prominent figures from the ecosystem of startups, technology and innovation, such as the Director of Strategies and Innovation at Raiffeisen Bank, Ms. Elona Llaci , Director of EU4Innovation Mr. Sebastian Berwagner , Representative of UNICEF Albania Mr. Murat Sahin and the EBRD Regional Coordinator, Mrs. Ardiola Hristic .
The Albanian ICT Awards is home to a community of creatives and visionaries, each driven by a shared passion for innovation and progress. The insatiable curiosity and boundless creativity of each of the winners, finalists and contestants of this competition have served as a catalyst for transformative changes in the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Albanian-speaking territories over the years.
" We started it as a dream 12 years ago. And the dream was to see somewhere not so far as the ICT Awards has reached, to see somewhere when there was no ecosystem and when there were not many actors who would come together and contribute to a scene to celebrate, to celebrate and why not to invest in a startup, to find a job with a talented person and here we are today," said the co-founder of the Albanian ICT Awards, Mr. Kushtrim Shala .
He said that today we have participants as far as Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanoc, we have participants from Montenegro, North Macedonia, but also from Kosovo, and the first goal of this competition was to bring together the beautiful minds of our nation.
"Regarding the award received for DPSHTRR, I feel more responsible that we were appreciated by this community," said the Minister of Innovation, Economy and Culture, Mr. Blendi Gonxja .
He said that we will fight to build Europe here . "And by 2030, be a champion country in the region for innovation, digitalization and the "disappearance" of the state from the lives of citizens."
"12 years ago maybe this competition seemed strange, maybe it didn't have the participation it has today, but as you mentioned to young startups you have to have the vision to see far in order to achieve beautiful things," said Minister of State for Entrepreneurship Mrs. Delina Ibrahimaj .
Applications are open until 31 March 2024 at 23:59 and can only be made online by visiting https://ictawards.org/2023/
Speaking about the development of ICT for young people, the deputy mayor of Tirana, Mrs. Keti Luarasi said that Piramida with "Tumo" has reached 3500 students aged 12-18 who are trained with ICT programs.
The Director of Strategies and Innovation at Raiffeisen Bank affirmed the institution's support for the Albanian ICT Awards, as has happened throughout the 12 years of this competition.
" We as a bank have been among the first supporters of the ICT Awards for 12 years in a row, we are not tired and we will not be. Innovation is part of our culture ," said Mrs. Erjona Llaci .
" We are happy that for the second year in a row we continue the partnership with ICTSmedia for the ICT Awards, which we consider an excellent collaboration platform for identifying startups with high development potential, as the main group that we intend to include in our Star Venture program . The EBRD's Star Venture program, launched in the Western Balkan countries in 2019, funded by the EU - Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility (EDIF) and Luxembourg, helps develop innovative start-ups with high development potential by providing technical assistance adapted according to the specific needs of startup companies by engaging local and international experts and mentors, as well as supporting the accelerators and main partners of the ecosystem to increase their capacities ," said the EBRD Regional Coordinator, Mrs. Ardiola Hristic.
" What you are doing is amazing. You are giving hope to young people, to families, saying that there is potential and opportunity to fulfill your potential in Albania, 12 years, tens of years ," said UNICEF Albania representative Mr. Murat Sahin .
" We are very proud to be partners with the ICT Awards in the 12th edition. We are looking forward to May 31st for the main event. It is one of the best events we have every year focused on the ICT sector," said EU4Innovation Director Sebastian Berwagner .
This event was also greeted by the representative of the Albanian ICT Awards jury, Mrs. Linda Shomo who said that ICT will be the "home" of the youth while encouraging them to apply and not to be discouraged or give up on their innovative dream.
The 12th edition of the Albanian ICT Awards will welcome applications in 7 different categories: ICT Innovation of the Year , ICT Startup of the Year , ICT Diploma of the Year , ICT Rising Star up to 16 years old , ICT Rising Star 16-21 , Cyber Security and Nomination Form .
Applications are open until 31 March 2024 at 23:59 and can only be made online by visiting https://ictawards.org/2023/
In addition to media exposure, winning projects are rewarded with prizes in their respective categories, prizes and support from partners and sponsors, scholarships, training, networking, unique promotion, internships and exposure to a wide community of successful founders, entrepreneurs and investors.
After the arrival of the applications, the evaluation process begins in stages, from the creation of a short list of candidates to the presentation of each of them before the jury of the Albanian ICT Awards in Tirana and Pristina, thus paving the way for the Gala Evening finale , which will be held on May 31, 2024 .
And as the fruits of the Albanian ICT Awards trail began to materialize over the years, this competition stood at the forefront of a journey of innovation, a beacon of inspiration and opportunity for generations to come.
Applications are open until 31 March 2024 at 23:59 and can only be made online by visiting https://ictawards.org/2023/
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