Ericsson, stc partner to launch ‘Spark Tomorrow’ hackathon

Ericsson has launched the ‘Spark Tomorrow’ tech hackathon in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in partnership with stc Group, King Saud University, and Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications and a part of Ericsson.

The ‘Spark Tomorrow’ hackathon will bring together product developers and programmers to create game-changing applications that enhance development processes and user experiences. Participants will leverage Vonage’s application programming interfaces (APIs) across three key verticals – Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and eXtended Reality (XR).

The hackathon will take place as a two-day, in-person event at King Saud University in Riyadh, where participants will work under the guidance of expert mentors to turn their ideas into prototypes. These prototypes will then be pitched to hackathon judges, and the winning teams will be announced at a ceremony at stc Group headquarters in Riyadh.

Khaled Aldharrab, Vice President of Technology Strategy and Architecture at stc Group, says: “The Spark Tomorrow hackathon will bring together the brightest minds in the country to innovate and create solutions that will shape the future of Information and Communications Technology. Partnering with Ericsson and Vonage, we are pleased to support the participants’ creativity and problem-solving skills, and we look forward to seeing the incredible ideas that will emerge from this event.“

Prof. Yazeed Al-Sheikh, Vice President of King Saud University for Research and Graduate Studies, says: “We are happy to partner on the upcoming Spark Tomorrow tech hackathon with Ericsson. This is an opportunity to foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration in the industry. We look forward to inspiring and empowering the next generation of innovators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Vikram Khandpur, SVP, CPaaS Products and Developer Experience at Vonage, says: “We are proud to bring the power of Vonage APIs to the hackathon, empowering the participants to create innovative solutions. With our robust suite of communications and network APIs, participants will have the tools they need to build cutting-edge, creative, and impactful solutions for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Håkan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Ericsson Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “The ‘Spark Tomorrow’ hackathon is a testament to Ericsson’s continuous commitment to harnessing the power of technology and innovation to advance Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation in line with Saudi Vision 2030. We work together with our partners to build a robust knowledge-based economy, powered by a holistic ecosystem of innovators and creators. Among our key objectives is identifying and developing outstanding local tech talent that will drive the Kingdom’s digital future. The hackathon provides an ideal opportunity to support the development of digital infrastructure, promote the adoption of advanced technology and drive research and innovation in the Kingdom.”

The hackathon is designed to foster technological innovation and contribute to the Kingdom’s digital transformation by encouraging developers and programmers to create cutting-edge applications. The hackathon supports the Kingdom’s wider Vision 2030 goals of advancing innovation and emerging as a leader in the global tech landscape.