In the 11th year of the continuous commitment to empowering Thai youth, the ‘Ford Smart Mobility Challenge’ has recently announced the winning teams after the intense presentations by ten student teams and valuable advice and development guidelines from expert judges. This year, the recycling innovation project, Graphene Battery from Leonardite Waste, from King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok won the first prize. This project creates value from coal mine waste in Thailand, enhancing battery-related safety and promoting the use of renewable energy, which contributes to sustainable environmental management, as well as demonstrating a clear path for future development.
Jane Holloway, senior manager of IMG for Ford Philanthropy, said, "The Ford Smart Mobility Challenge project highlights on enhancing the skills of Thai youth to prepare them for the future workforce, coupled with financial support to bring innovative ideas to life. Therefore, we have combined the strengths of our partners to deliver insightful knowledge and hands-on experience that provide long-term learning for the finalist student teams to drive benefits for society and inspire other Thai youth."
In addition to the first prize, the Ford Smart Mobility Challenge also awarded prizes for various runner-up positions totaling 840,000 baht, including scholarships and support grants for educational institutions:
- 1st Runner-Up: ‘Smart Forest Fire Monitoring System in Risk Areas’ from Waree Chiang Mai school, Chiang Mai province.
- 2nd Runner-Up: ‘Eco-Friendly Plaster Strip Made of Agricultural Waste’ from Kalasinpittayasan school, Kalasin province.
- 3rd Runner-Up: ‘Preliminary Diabetes Screening Device’ from Chalermkwansatree school, Phitsanulok province.
Additionally, six honorable mention awards, a Social Popular Vote award, and a Best of Teamwork award were also presented.
This year, the Ford Thailand’s Smart Mobility Challenge was organized under the concept of 'Driving Innovation to Power the Future of Movement,', reflecting Ford's core concept of 'mobility' and focusing on developing innovation in three main dimensions: access and inclusion, safety and danger, and well-being.
This year, the project received submissions from 138 student teams nationwide, which were then narrowed down to 10 finalists. These teams had the opportunity to participate in the training sessions led by experts from the NIA, Ford’s product development engineers, and online communication experts from TV Burapa. The goal was to help the student teams refine their innovative ideas and develop the inventions that genuinely benefit communities.
