TIRANA, MARCH 15, 2013     With the support from the USAD’s Competitive Enterprise Development project (Rritje Albania), Microsoft Albania, and Albania’s Ministries of Education and Science and Innovation and ICT,  Albania held its second  Imagine Cup Competition to support technology and innovation to advance economic and social developments in Albania. 

The competition was made possible through partnerships and collaboration among USAID, the Government of Albania, private sector businesses and educational institutions.  Albania is seeking to build its ICT sector and support the development of ICT skills among young entrepreneurs in order to increase the competitiveness of businesses.

The Imagine Cup is an annual worldwide series of student technology competitions focused around Microsoft technology and encouraging young people to apply their imagination and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world. Now in its tenth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a global event. In 2012, the Imagine cup grew to more than 358,000 registered students from 183 countries. 

This is Albania’s second Imagine Cup competition.  The competition challenges talented teams of university-level students to develop inventive projects, by developing innovative software applications.   The Albania winning team will receive cash prizes and be eligible to compete in regional competitions and, if successful, in the worldwide final that will be held in Russia in July 2013.

USAID’s Rritje Albania project has supported the 2013 Albania Imagine Cup winners by disseminating information on the competition to raise awareness and ensure broad participation and organization of the event.  After the competition, USAID will provide technical assistance to the 2013 winners to help them to commercialize their winning ideas. In addition, qualified business and organizations may also apply for a grant from Rritje Albania’s Technology and Innovation Grants Facility under which qualified businesses and organizations may receive up to USD$20,000 for successful grant proposals that feature the introduction or development of new technologies and innovation in businesses.

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