Social Entrepreneurs Meet at İstanbul Airport

​Designed to serve as a social living space beyond a mere airport, Istanbul Airport opens doors to social entrepreneurs as part of the “İGA Social Hackathon” (SHack). İGA SHack will bring together several social entrepreneurs, graphics designers, interface designers and project managers to develop smart digital solutions to social problems on 20-22 March 2020.

As Turkey’s gate to the world, Istanbul Airport is organizing an İGA Social Hackathon that will bring together social entrepreneurs with the aim to contribute to social initiatives and develop creative solutions to social problems. Social scientists, software developers and entrepreneurs will meet at Istanbul Airport on 20-22 March 2020 to build a better world.

The projects ranking in the top three places at İGA SHack will be developed further after the competition, thereby aiming at actualizing the project ideas that involve social benefit while promoting social entrepreneurship.

İGA SHack contributes to social development and sustainability…

Competitors who may file their SHack applications until 15 February 2020 are expected to develop business or project ideas in two separate categories. The first of these İGA SHack categories is social development, in which competitors will have to focus on sustainable, innovative and human-oriented project ideas and socioeconomic development for Decent Business and Economic Growth.

In terms of socioeconomic growth, competitors are expected to devise projects that will promote youth employment, foster the integration of females into socio-economic life and safeguard the benefit of handicapped people, the elderly and children, such as projects of entrepreneurship including without limitation agriculture and livestock projects intended for the local residents living in nearby neighborhoods of the airport, novel business ideas that will provide social benefit, and projects that will bring positive contribution and improve both employee and passenger comfort in airport operations.

In the Livable and Sustainable Cities/Societies category, competitors will generate business or project ideas on topics relating to sustainability and environment like adaptation to climate change, disaster preparedness, sustainable food supply, and waste management.

The winning project to receive up to TL 100k support

The competitors at İGA SHack will compete in groups of 4 during 20-22 March 2020, while the 6 groups ranking among the top 3 in the abovementioned two categories will pitch against each other to qualify for the second round where they will elaborate their project ideas. The groups ranking in the top three of round one will be awarded with TL 5.000 for the winner, TL 3.000 for the first runner-up and TL 2.000 for the second runner-up.

After the SHack, the 6 prize-winning groups of the two categories in round one will move on to round two scheduled for 18 April 2020 where each group will make a presentation on their project to an audience of numerous experts. Those applications that are found eligible for grant will be assessed by a jury, while the winning project will receive monetary support up to ₺ 100.000,00. 

In his comments on İGA Shack, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of İGA Istanbul Airport, Kadri Samsunlu, noted: “Being an airport that has already proven itself as a global hub in its first year of operation on account of its unique architecture, strong infrastructure, superior technologies and the outstanding travel experience offered to its passengers, Istanbul Airport does at the same time shine out as a social living space. The aim we pursue by organizing the İGA Shack is to draw attention to social issues and contribute to the generation of solutions to social problems. By creating an environment that brings together social entrepreneurs, software developers and graphics designers, we promote development of creative solutions to the daily challenges faced by ordinary people. We will support the actualization of innovative, feasible, authentic business or project ideas that have an aspect of social benefit. The priority we attach to social development and sustainability within the scope of our operations at Istanbul Airport is a guiding spirit that shapes our actions at an extent comparable to the importance we attach to operational success and passenger satisfaction.”

For further details on İGA SHack and to submit your application, please visit: https://igasocialhack.com/.