New Competition Puts Spotlight on New and Impactful Ideas from Academic and Research Communities Around the World

London: The GSMA today announced the winners of its inaugural Mobile World Scholar Challenge. New for Mobile World Congress 2018, the Mobile World Scholar Challenge is a video-based competition designed to discover and highlight ground-breaking new technologies developed at universities around the globe.

“Embracing new ideas is the key to innovation and growth, be it an economy, an industry, a company, charity or individual,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “At Mobile World Congress, we are constantly looking to showcase cutting-edge ideas poised to impact the mobile world, and the winners of this first Mobile World Scholar Challenge certainly represent this. Our congratulations to all of the winners, as well as everyone who submitted their innovations for consideration.”

Challenge participants submitted short-form videos that promote the science behind and potential use cases for their technology research. After a judging panel reviewed dozens of submissions from universities on five continents, the GSMA awarded five Gold Prizes and three Silver Prizes. All winners receive a cash award and their videos will be presented at Mobile World Congress, and Gold Prize winners will attend Mobile World Congress 2018 as guests of the GSMA. The 2018 Mobile World Scholars are:

Gold Prize Winners

• McGill University / Northwestern University – Graphene Audio: Advanced Nano-Materials for High Performance Loudspeakers. Submitted by Mr. Ari Pinkas.

• Northwestern University – Microfluidic Systems for the Skin. Submitted by Dr. Roozbeh Ghaffari.

• Queen’s University Belfast, ECIT, Centre for Wireless Innovation – Flat Self-Steered High Gain Antennas for 5G Networks. Submitted by Dr. Neil Buchanan.

• University of Michigan – Biomimetic Composites for Vibration Isolation. Submitted by Professor Nicholas Kotov.

• University of Glasgow – Smart Cities Connected by Twisted Light. Submitted by Dr. Martin Lavery.

Silver Prize Winners

• Queen’s University Belfast, ECIT, Centre for Wireless Innovation – Tissue-Independent Implantable Antenna for In-Body Communications. Submitted by Mr. Matthew Magill.

• Purdue University – Waste Coal Ash Could Provide Wealth of Rare Earth Elements. Submitted by Professor Linda Wang.

• University of Barcelona – Network Efficiency Based on Mobility. Submitted by Dr. Albert Díaz Guilera and Dr. Josep Perelló.

For full information on the awards and to view the winners’ videos, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com/experiences/next-gen-innovation/mobile-world-scholar-challenge/.

Get Involved at Mobile World Congress 2018
For more information on Mobile World Congress 2018, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress on Twitter @GSMA using #MWC18, on our LinkedIn Mobile World Congress page www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-world-congress or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mobileworldcongress/.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona through 2023. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programmes and activities that span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.

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About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences. 

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
 
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