3,000 innovations to be showcased

Technologists, innovators and decision-makers will interact with over 3,000 student-entrepreneurs from across Kerala at ‘IEDC Summit 2017’ organised by the Kerala Startup Mission here on Saturday.

It will also showcase the incredible potential and production of the State’s startup ecosystem. The day-long event to be held at Karukutty, north of Ernakulam, will also mark the first time global technology conglomerates such as Google and Facebook will share space and network with startups and aspiring ‘technopreneurs’ in Kerala.

Google India vice-president and managing director Rajan Anandan will deliver the keynote address, while Facebook will launch its first Developer Circle, a locally-organised knowledge sharing community for developers, in Kochi. Kerala will also witness its first ‘Bitcoin Airdrop’, joining in a worldwide initiative that sees cities, Fintech organisations and educational institutions in 11 regions mine and distribute free bitcoins to grow their local digital currency communities.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be the chief guest at the summit, which will see participation from around 200 Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs), small incubators set up at engineering, technical, management and arts and science colleges to help students pursue innovative ideas and embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.

More than 50 student prototypes will be unveiled at a ‘Project Expo’ while specially constructed robots, designed and built in-house by college students, battle each other in a live ‘Robowar’ competition. There will also be live demos of AR/VR devices, seminars, mentoring and pitching stations and panel discussions.