The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded its program aimed at training youth on creating and developing small-scale projects in technology and innovation in Mali. The announcement highlighted the three winning national-level teams out of 63 participating in the program carried out by ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector in Mali, in collaboration with the business incubators “New Innovation Space” and “DoniLab.”

During the final phase of the event held in Bamako on Friday, 22 December 2023, participants presented their technological project ideas before a jury comprising local experts and representatives of the “New Innovation Space” business incubator. During his address via video conferencing at the opening session, Dr. Mohamed Sharif, advisor in ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, commended the efforts of Islamic world youth in the fields of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing their role in contributing to sustainable development in their respective countries.

The first-place winner was the “Jibo Services” team, presenting a project aimed at improving living conditions for rural residents by developing climate change adaptation mechanisms. The second-place winner, “Speak Mali”, proposed a project to convert waste into organic fertilizers through a specialized biodigester system. The third-place winner was the “Bololo Bop” team, introducing a digital advertisement platform which serves their ads through cultural shows.

It’s worth noting that ICESCO’s program for training youth on creating and developing small-scale technology and innovation projects was implemented in 10 Member States during its first edition in 2022, while the second edition will include 10 more countries by the end of 2023. This program is part of ICESCO’s strategy aimed at supporting startups in the field of innovation and technology within its Member States.