Winners of This Year’s Vodafone Digital Awards Announced

“We believe that we can use technology and digitalization to create a more liveable tomorrow,” said Amanda Nelson, CEO of Vodafone Hungary. “Every year, thanks to the Vodafone Digital Award, we have the opportunity to support projects that we believe can benefit humanity. The number and quality of this year’s applications not only confirmed what I have known for years, namely that Hungary is full of great innovators, but also that by working together and supporting each other, we can indeed find answers to the most pressing questions of our time,” she added.

The presentation event was held on June 23 and attended by Deputy State Secretary Károly Balázs Solymár of the Ministry of Technology and Industry, among others.

“The Vodafone Digital Award is an exemplary and unique initiative in Hungary, which creates an excellent opportunity to take action for our future through technological developments,” he told audience members.

“The government is working with its corporate partners to ensure that no Hungarian idea that could become a marketable product or a service that improves the quality of life is left on the shelf. This year’s round of competition has confirmed our belief that Hungary has an almost inexhaustible supply of knowledge-based development plans,” the deputy state secretary said.

“We will do our best to put this great resource into practice for the benefit of our children and grandchildren,” Solymár promised.

He added that challenges such as the war in Ukraine and the disruption of supply chains must now be addressed. But he added that the answers could not be business as usual; creative and innovative solutions are demanded.

Three Categories

The three categories of this year’s competition, Digital Society, Inclusion for All, and Environmental Protection and Sustainability, reflect the most critical problems and challenges affecting our society and environment. The Vodafone Foundation competition was open to anyone who could respond to the above topics with a project that is already in operation but needs to be further developed or with a digital solution that is about to be implemented.

The Digital Society category was open to innovative digital solutions that benefit a social group. The winner was the Ceph Assistant digital teleradiography software for detecting dental anomalies.

The Environment and Sustainability category was open to digitally innovative green solutions contributing to a climate-neutral ecosystem. Volteum, which uses its algorithms to calculate the daily energy demand of electric vehicles, plan the best and optimize charging cycles, was the winner.

The Digital Equality category called for innovative digital solutions to help disadvantaged groups catch up. The winner was Kontekt, a TV screen-connectable device for older people who are reluctant to use smart devices, facilitating video calls with loved ones at the touch of a physical button.

Mentoring Team

The event also has a unique innovation prize, with the winning applicant receiving professional support from Vodafone Hungary’s mentoring team, who will assist in the implementation and further development of the project for six months.

The social and professional jury unanimously voted the HandExo personalized, 3-D printed hand orthosis as the winner of the 2022 Special Incubation Award. The device can be operated remotely via an app, helping patients who have suffered a stroke or some other injury to the hand or nervous system, move their fingers independently and actively during developmental exercises.

“As a jury member, I was extremely excited about the selection process, as the shortlisted projects were very promising. It was a great pleasure for me to see that more and more people are interested in the digitalization of healthcare. We have also seen solutions aimed at the digital development of agriculture and its renewal,” said Anita Orbán, deputy CEO of Vodafone Hungary, responsible for corporate relations, and a member of the board of trustees of the Vodafone Hungary Foundation.

According to a statement issued by Vodafone, the Special Incubation Award was first launched by the Vodafone Hungary Foundation in 2018 to recognize innovators who provide practical help for everyday life challenges by supporting digitalization and, at the same time, serving the social good. This year 118 applications were received, 40% from individuals and 60% from organizations.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of July 1, 2022.