October 14, III All-Ukrainian festival of innovation projects «Sikorsky Challenge 2014" started at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute".
The festival is named in honor of the famous aircraft designer, originally from Kiev, a former student of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, Igor Sikorsky. Therefore, there is his hat in the logo of the festival - a constant attribute with which the great innovator of the twentieth century never parted. Well, the slogan of this festival of science and engineering work, "Dreams are changing the world."
The aim of the festival - attracting pupils and students, as well as scientists and entrepreneurs to participate in research programs and design activity for further commercialization, start-ups and the output of innovative products for the international and national markets.
"Our experts have estimated that if Ukraine is shifting towards high-tech development path, abandoning the traditional raw material processing and low-tech areas, then a decade later, it can increase its high-tech exports from 3.5 per cent, which we have now, to 20 per cent, then contribution to the GDP of the country through innovation can increase from 4 percent to 50 percent. That is it - no alternative path of development of the country and for that we have started and will continue to conduct these festivals ... - said at the opening ceremony the Rector of NTUU"KPI" NAS of Ukraine academician Michael Zgurovsky. - So I want to appeal to young inventors and wish them every success in this very important matter "
Participants and guests were also congratulated by the director of education programs Intel in Ukraine and CIS Tatiana Nanayeva, executive director of the Charitable Fund "Open Hearts" Eugene Poltenko, president of the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Stanislav Dovgy, MP, Secretary of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on information and information technology Olexander Mochkov and MP, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Science and Education Liliya Hrynevych.
The Ukrainian contest of innovation projects «Sikorsky Challenge 2014" and the contest «Intel-Techno Ukraine 2014-2015" - National Round of the International Competition of scientific and technical creativity of schoolchildren «Intel ISEF» are held in frame of the festival. In general, the participants admitted at the festival about 200 designs of various subjects. An active part in the festival is taken by young researchers of the National Center "Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine," in particular in the preparation of contests, organization and carrying out its various activities.
Before the opening ceremony of the festival participants and guests had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the deployed in the lobby of the Center for Culture and Arts NTUU "KPI" exhibition of schoolchildren-inventors projects and get answers to their questions as from the authors of the development as well as from members of the Organizing Committee.
Ukrainian contest of innovation projects «Sikorsky Challenge 2014", which, in fact, gave the name to the festival, this year began on 15 April. After the pre-selection and training 22 projects take part in the finals, including projects of members of MAN. They will be assessed by the authoritative international jury headed by renowned expert on IT-technologies, entrepreneur and business coach Igor Peer (Israel).
Final professional assessment the Competition «Sikorsky Challenge» projects will be provided by Ukrainian Center of Innovations and Patent Information Services, and business English school Yappi will help the finalists to acquire presentation skills in English . Author teams winning projects of the competition will be able to implement them in the environment of the Science Park "Kyiv Polytechnic" with the support of grants and venture capital funds.
Competition «Intel-Techno Ukraine 2014-2015" - National Round of the International Competition of scientific and technical creativity of students, which is supported by the Embassy of the USA in Ukraine, this year took the start in August. 152 projects winners of its regional stages of the 18 regions of Ukraine, Kiev and even the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are presented in KPI! Projects will be assessed in five categories: "Mathematical Sciences" (9 papers), "Physics and Astronomy" (27 papers), "Computer Science" (34 works), "Engineering" (54 works) and "Energy" (28 papers) .
At the festival, the super-finalists of this competition will be determined. They will be able to improve their development with the scientists in the laboratories of NTUU "KPI" and institutes of the NAS of Ukraine. Among the members of the Ukrainian scientific jury - leading scholars and teachers of scientific and educational institutions of Ukraine (Institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NTUU "KPI" and others). In determining the winners the members of the jury will assess not only the scientific quality of the projects, but also the features that increase the chances of winning the Intel ISEF, including presentation and communication skills of contestants, logical thinking, knowledge of English, independence and completion of the project, because the best of super-finalists in May 2015 will represent Ukraine at the World finals of the competition «Intel ISEF» in Pittsburgh (USA).
The festival takes place with the financial support of the "President's Fund Leonid Kuchma "Ukraine ", International Investment Noosphere, an investment company ILand Management, venture capital funds named after V.S.Mihalevich, Kalinin Invention Fund, Sikorsky Challenge Ventures Fund, AVentures, Detonate Ventures, Intel Corporation, the Charitable Fund of Ukraine "Open Hearts", the Independent Association of Ukrainian Banks, companies GlobalLodgic, Epam, Kingston Technology, Samsung, TP-LINK, and others.
The festival will run until October 17. Winners will be announced during the closing ceremony on October 17 at 11-00.