Учредители инициативы MolenGeek , представители правительства Бельгии и корпорация Samsung Electronics, представили программу поддержки молодых предпринимателей в районе Моленбек в Бельгии перед Генассамблеей ООН. Этот проект – пример успешного партнёрства между государством и частным сектором, способствующий достижению целей Организации Объединённых Наций в области устойчивого развития.
MolenGeek был признан образцовой программой, использующей цифровые технологии для решения проблемы безработицы среди молодых специалистов в связи с недостатком опыта или образования. Проект пользуется большой популярностью в районе Моленбек, где уровень безработицы среди молодёжи превышает 30%. Благодаря школе программирования MolenGeek юные предприниматели запустили уже 25 проектов и готовят к запуску ещё 156. Около 120 студентов получили работу после прохождения интенсивных трёхмесячных курсов в школе программирования, где они обучились таким востребованным навыкам, как разработка кода под платформу Android.Совместный вклад Samsung и бельгийских властей в MolenGeek заключается в том, что они предоставляют молодым предпринимателям пространство для запуска инновационных стартапов и доступ к профессиональным ресурсам в центре MolenGeek, открывшемся в январе 2017 года. Сотрудники корпорации не только осуществляют техническую поддержку и предоставляют продукты Samsung молодым стартаперам, но и выступают в роли наставников будущих IT-предпринимателей, активно участвуя в таких событиях как Hackathon и Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge.
Основатели MolenGeek, а также представители правительства Бельгии и официальные лица Samsung презентовали проект перед Генеральной Ассамблей ООН на мероприятии «Технологии 4 SDG: цифровая инновация для устойчивого развития общества», организованном правительствами Бельгии и Уганды в штаб-квартире ООН в Нью-Йорке.
«Проект MolenGeek – идеальный пример того, как глобальные, корпоративные и гражданские цели Samsung по продвижению образования, занятости и охраны здоровья согласуются с целями по достижению устойчивого развития ООН, такими как качественное образование, гендерное равенство, достойный труд и экономический рост, а также промышленность, инновации, инфраструктура и сотрудничество, – отметил директор по корпоративным вопросам Samsung Electronics Benelux Михель Дийкман. – Цифровые инновации при поддержке государственно-частных партнёрств могут стать важным аспектом создания инклюзивного общества и более перспективного будущего для молодёжи. Сотрудничая с предпринимателями, местными и центральными властями, Samsung продолжит текущую работу по расширению возможностей молодых людей и созданию лучшего для сообщества».
На мероприятии «Технологии 4 SDG» также прошли интерактивные дискуссии, в ходе которых эксперты обсудили, как расширить или повторить наиболее значимые из представленных практик. В панельной дискуссии, модератором которой выступал Генеральный секретарь Фонда капитального развития Организации Объединенных Наций Анри Доммель, приняли участие Александр Де Кроо, заместитель премьер-министра и министр по вопросам развития Бельгии; Винсент Багир, постоянный секретарь министерства ИКТ Уганды; и Роберт Киркпатрик, директор инициативы ООН «Глобальный пульс»; а также Михель Дийкман из Samsung Electronics.
The MolenGeek Initiative Presented as Best Practice Case Study of Public-Private Partnership to the UN General Assembly
Presentation by the founders of the Molengeek initiative, the Belgian government, and Samsung highlights contribution of a public-private partnership to achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The founders of the MolenGeek initiative, the Belgian government, and Samsung Electronics presented a support program for young entrepreneurs in the Molenbeek district in Belgium as a best practice case study in the contribution of a public-private partnership to achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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.
A Brighter Molenbeek Thanks to ‘MolenGeek’
On the sidelines of this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), representatives from Samsung, Belgian government officials, and a team of young entrepreneurs presented the success story of MolenGeek, an initiative designed to create opportunities for youth in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, as a best practice of public-private partnership that can change the future of a community.
The initiative is a good example of how Samsung’s technology and Global Corporate Citizenship Goals, which seek to promote education, employment and health, are contributing to creating a more inclusive society. And with technology a key part of so many industries today, the MolenGeek initiative demonstrates how Samsung is working to foster the technical entrepreneurship of young people as part of its citizenship aims.
Cultivating Change in Molenbeek
To support MolenGeek, Samsung has joined forces with the initiative’s dynamic team of founders as well as the Belgian government, to provide young aspiring entrepreneurs in Molenbeek with the space and resources to launch their own innovative startups. As a community previously linked to radicalism and disenfranchised youth, the initiative, seeks to provide a positive answer to the past negative outlook of the neighborhood.
In addition to providing technical and financial support to MolenGeek, Samsung has helped to establish a professional coding school to train young programmers. Samsung employees also actively participate in organizing events such as Hackathons and an Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge to provide mentorship for Molenbeek’s future digital entrepreneurs.
“In a logic of co-creation, Samsung’s support helps MolenGeek and its participants by making accessible a whole new world of technologies. Participants can now have access to the latest technologies for free. They also have access to a new way of skills acquisition based on learning by doing,” said Julie Foulon, who is one of the co-founders of MolenGeek.
As result of events like the Hackathons, brilliant startups have been created such as CitizenMap in April 2016. This was right after the terrorist attack in Brussels, which was thought to have been connected to radicalized youngsters in the district of Molenbeek. To contribute to the improvement of the emergency services, the creators of CitizenMap interviewed first aid and emergency services in Brussels to understand the IT challenges of the city, next collecting and mapping all the defibrillators in Belgium. A year later, in May 2017, CitizenMap was launched for a trial run with the Red Cross prior to its official release.
Incubating Startups
To date, the MolenGeek initiative has incubated 25 startups such as T-IL and QuickLyric. T-IL is an alternative tourism app based on the interests of its users. According to users’ tastes and preferences, T-IL recommends tourist spots when users travel in a specific country. QuickLyric allows users to download instantly the lyrics of the songs they are listening to, no matter what source they are using: Spotify, MP3, Deezer, Google Music or even radio. After almost six months, QuickLyric has registered over 500,000 downloads and is used in over 20 countries in more than 20 languages.
“MolenGeek is a best practice on how we can give young people a positive perspective for their future in a world that is increasingly digital and fast-evolving. This is a success story that the world needs to know,” said Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium in his opening remarks during the presentation to the UNGA.
For Samsung and the partners behind MolenGeek, the success so far is only the beginning. More exciting results and innovations are expected ahead which will hopefully bring further positive impact to the lives of Molenbeek’s young people.
