MAM
IIT SNAP wins Ericsson Innovation Award
MUMBAI: Team SNAP, from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, has been named the overall winner of Ericsson Innovation Awards 2017.
SNAP’s solution reduces cost and inefficiency of soil sample analytics by providing farmers with real-time data enabling them to select appropriate fertilizers.
Over 900 teams from more than 70 countries registered for the competition which concluded during a grand final ceremony at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. The top three finalists competed in the EIA grand final held at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden on 12 June, 2017.
The theme of this year’s awards, ‘The future of food’, challenged students from around the world to explore how ICT can transform the way we produce, transport, distribute and consume food.
By 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9.6 billion. Ensuring that food production and consumption is sufficient and sustainable is a major challenge, but also an opportunity to improve lives and the health of our planet.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, says: “As our world’s population rises, so does the challenge of ensuring zero hunger. This competition allows us to discover new technologies to transform our quality of life, food production and consumption. We continue to embrace and drive innovation and are devoted to the global ecosystems that support it.”
MajBritt Arfert, Head of Human Resources, Ericsson, says: “The Ericsson Innovation Awards are a great opportunity for us, and our Ericsson experts mentoring the teams, to inspire and be inspired by these young and brilliant minds.”
The jury for the 2017 Ericsson Innovation Awards was chaired by Sara Mazur, Head of Ericsson Research. Its members included: Caleb Harper, MIT Media Lab, Dr. Catherine Mulligan, Imperial College London, Mattias Fyrenius, CEO Nobel Media, and Johan Jörgensen, Founder Stockholm FoodTech.
Second place – Enigma, India Institute of Technology Delhi. Enigma seeks to reduce weevil infestations in rice crop storage with a device that can detect the presence of weevils and the severity of an infestation, then spray pesticides accordingly.
Third place – Foodgrid, Aalto University, Finland. Foodgrid is expanding urban agriculture and minimizing the distance between farm and table by building a social and commercial platform to connect urban farmers, landowners with green space, and consumers.
AD Agencies
Omnicom Advertising names Ellie Brocklehurst chief growth and marketing officer for Asia
The former TBWA Asia marketing chief returns from maternity leave with an ambitious mandate to make Omnicom the most sought-after network in the region.
NEW YORK: Ellie Brocklehurst is back, and she is not easing herself in gently. Omnicom Advertising has appointed Brocklehurst as chief growth and marketing officer for Asia, a role that puts her in charge of growth and marketing initiatives across the network’s three flagship agencies: BBDO, McCann and TBWA. Her brief is to sharpen existing capabilities while identifying new avenues for expansion across the region.
Brocklehurst brings a career that has moved steadily upward through some of the industry’s most recognisable names. She began at Source Music before moving through Exposure Public Relations and Marketing, Taurus Marketing and LEWIS Global Communications. She then joined BBDO Worldwide as communications manager for the Asia group, rising to regional communications director for Asia. At Wunderman Thompson, she served as head of marketing and PR for APAC before being elevated to APAC growth marketing lead, where she worked closely with local management teams on client expansion strategies, new business acquisition and brand building. Most recently, she served as chief marketing officer at TBWA\Asia.
Brocklehurst, who is returning from maternity leave, was characteristically direct about what she intends to do with the opportunity. “Transitioning back from my final maternity leave is a significant personal milestone,” she said. “While it’s the end of one era at home, it marks the beginning of an ambitious new one professionally.” She left little doubt about the scale of her ambition. “I’m stepping into this role with a clear mission: to make Omnicom Advertising the most awarded, revered, and sought-after agency network in Asia.”
In a region where agency networks are jostling hard for creative dominance and client loyalty, that is a target worth watching. Brocklehurst has spent two decades learning exactly how this game is played. Now she gets to set the rules.
