YGC Innovation Festival 2024: A Resounding Success, Igniting a Passion for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship
The YGC Innovation Festival, held from August 1st to 4th, was a huge success, drawing in a record-breaking crowd of over 25,000 visitors. This annual event has become a beacon of inspiration, showcasing the best and brightest ideas from across the island.
The festival began with a bang as 114 teams of young innovators from 13 educational zones in the Northern Province competed in the YGC Juniors Finals. These talented students, representing 13 different educational zones, showcased their groundbreaking inventions in four different categories. The energy and enthusiasm were palpable as these young minds presented their ideas to a panel of judges.
The excitement continued on August 2nd with the YGCIF Student Expo, where many of the YGC Juniors finalists, along with other students, had the chance to display their projects to the public. Alongside this, a mini-expo throughout the YGC Innovation Festival featured over 30 alumni companies of YIT, adding another layer of innovation and entrepreneurship to the festival. This mini-expo opened a gateway for the audience to meet the founders and co-founders directly to discuss business propositions or future collaborations.
The festival wasn’t just about student projects. Visitors of all ages enjoyed a fascinating architectural tour of the Jaffna Cultural Center, led by the architect himself. The “Manovannam” music show, with its unique blend of innovation and tradition, captivated audiences. The hands-on learning sessions brought a unique blend of tradition and technology, offering participants the chance to immerse themselves in the art of cooking, pottery, and handloom weaving. Simultaneously, the Maker Space provided students with an exciting introduction to cutting-edge tools like 3D printers and Arduino, alongside interactive experiments that made learning scientific formulas both fun and accessible.
The festival also featured several exciting competitions. Codestrom 2.0, a 5-hour coding hackathon, challenged over 40 teams to showcase their coding skills. The “Follow Your Path” robotics competition for school students ignited a passion for robotics and engineering. Aspiring entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their tech and tech-enabled business ideas in the YGC Pitching competition.
Universities and educational institutes also made a significant impact at the festival, presenting their innovative projects and research, emphasizing academia’s crucial role in fostering innovation and progress. Adding to the cultural richness of the event, the art and sculpture exhibition by the Department of Painting and the Department of Sculpture from the Sir Ponambalam Ramanathan Faculty of Performing and Visual Arts, University of Jaffna, provided a visual feast for all attendees, captivating audiences of all ages with its breathtaking displays.
The resounding success of the YGC Innovation Festival 2024 was a result of the combined efforts of many. The generous sponsors and partners, including our Pioneer Partner ITEE Foundation, Platinum Partners Synamon Global, Lebara Foundation, WUSC Sri Lanka, Gold Partner Aravanai, Platinum Sponsor 3Zero House Sri Lanka powered by Acted, Northern Uni, Ecosystem Partner Dialog Innovation Foundry, Gold Sponsor comdu.it, John Keells IT, Silver Sponsor 99x, Creative Software, WSO2, hSenid Mobile, Senzmate, EAI Technologies, Anjuvannam, TIQRI, Accounting Partner V-Ignite, Green Tech Partner Ecosteem, Strategic Partner Lankan Angel Network, the Northern Provincial Education Department, who helped immensely with all the coordination with schools and the success of YGC Juniors, principals, teachers, parents, and the countless volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the event possible, all deserve recognition. Their passion and commitment created an unforgettable experience for everyone who attended.
This year’s record-breaking attendance is a clear indication of the Yarl IT Hub and YGC Innovation Festival’s growing influence and its ability to spark a love for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship in people of all ages and backgrounds. The YGC Innovation Festival 2024 has undoubtedly left a lasting impact, inspiring the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to dream big and make their mark on the world.
Finally, this is a success story of our community.