Young innovators take steps to turn ideas into reality

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Dancing pillows, smart toilets and recycled art were on display as young Jordanians shared their innovations on Saturday.

At the “Ideas Festival 2010”, 42 novel ideas were showcased out of 300 applications, ranging from environmental solutions to social development.

During the two-day interactive exhibition, organized by the Amman Baccalaureate School Alumni as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Jordan, dozens of 20-somethings presented their projects in the hope of making their ideas become realities.

The innovations were divided into six themes: business, science and technology, environment, social development, arts and design, and random, with theme leaders from specialized organizations and companies providing participants with expertise.

On the closing day of the festival on Saturday, winners in each theme were awarded $2,000 and the opportunity to be mentored by their theme leader.

Liyan Jabi, whose plan for a “smart toilet” won under the environment theme, said the award will help her continue her research to come up with a final prototype.

“The smart toilet reuses the water that you use to wash your hands for flushing. It doesn’t affect the sewage system and doesn’t waste extra water,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Amer Jamhour won under the business theme for his idea “JamBack”, a phone application that connects musicians using the Global Positioning System services.

“The application will help provide a platform to connect musical talents in Jordan and the region, which will strengthen the music community,” he explained.

He said he managed to secure a patent for his creation through the festival, adding that he will use the cash prize as a down payment for a developer.

The UK resident said he plans to launch the project in the UK as well in a bid to connect Western and eastern talents.

Romaan.com, an Arabic website that provides users with nutritional facts on popular Middle Eastern foods, won under the “random” theme.

Creator Sameh Abu Jarour said he came up with the idea after noticing a lack of health websites in Arabic on East Mediterranean cuisine.

He added that the website will connect users with dietitians to answer their questions and allow them to discuss their dietary habits and health interests.

“The fact that the project won at the festival gives me some credibility when approaching investors and developers,” Abu Jarour explained, calling on more young Jordanians to benefit from future festivals.

Other winning ideas included the “Sawa Project” for social development, while the “Vibrating Drying Machine” and the “Dancing Pillow” tied for the science and technology themes.

The “Dream House” project and “Recycled Art” tied for the arts and design themes.

GEW Jordan, which concluded yesterday, was co-hosted by Endeavor Jordan and the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship as part of a global event organized in 100 countries worldwide, where young people link with entrepreneurs to generate new ideas and embrace innovation.

15 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/?news=31859.