Volkswagen Middle East And Q-Auto Partner With Qatar Business Incubator Center To Run A Hackathon For Startups In The Mobility Industry Operating under the theme of digital transformation and mobility, the hackathon invited professionals, graduates, and early-stage startups to address challenges posed by the mobility industry.
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Volkswagen Middle East, the regional branch of the Germany-headquartered automobile manufacturer, and Q-Auto, an official Volkswagen dealer in Qatar, entered into a partnership with Qatar Business Incubator Centre (QBIC), the country's largest incubator, to stage a mobility-focused hackathon.
Organized by QBIC in June 2023, this event was staged with the aim to provide budding entrepreneurs in Qatar with a platform to display their ideas for -and contribute to- the development of the mobility sector.
A presentation being delivered at the hackathon. Image credit: Volkswagen Middle East
"Volkswagen is a brand that focuses on moving people forward, not just physically but also in terms of progress and technology," Ahmed Shariefi, Managing Director at Q-Auto said. "Working in partnership with QBIC and utilizing their expertise and resources, the collaboration created a nurturing environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality. Volkswagen and Q-Auto are proud to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the support and resources they need to bring their innovative ideas to life and drive the mobility industry forward."
Operating under the theme of digital transformation and mobility, the hackathon invited professionals, graduates, and early-stage startups to address challenges posed by the mobility industry. By focusing on ideas regarding advancing mobility solutions, smart infrastructure, and management systems, the event was held with the objective of inspiring innovation, as well as catalyzing the development of disruptive technologies within the Qatari entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The winners of the hackathon. Image credit: Volkswagen Middle East
The hackathon's winning teams include Shipbee, a statistical analysis system (SAS) platform and mobile app that connects shippers and carriers in the construction industry. The startup achieves this by streamlining load booking as well as scheduling for shippers and contractors, all while decreasing matching and communication times so as to enhance shipment visibility and tracking.
FleetProxima, another winner of the hackathon, is a platform that utilizes data-driven analytics to provide a monitoring system based on driver behavior, giving way to benefits such as enhanced safety measures, cost reduction, and real-time insights. The third winner was E-Lifters, a platform for connecting shippers and carriers in an effective manner through advanced technology, allowing for increased efficiency within the mobility sector. Each of the three winning teams won a prize of a pre-investment award amounting to QAR25,000 in order to grow and improve their businesses.
