Zain Iraq and Ericsson have announced an IoT competition for university students in Iraq. The first-of-its-kind competition will run for six weeks during which the students are invited to present use cases to address the possibilities of 5G-IoT and industry digitalisation and ultimately capture their full business potential. The competition is supported by the Communication and Media Commission (CMC) in Iraq as part of its initiative (Du3M 2025) with an aim to engage millennials from top Iraqi universities in identifying innovations that will transform the way they live, work, and learn. Ali Al-Khwilidi, CEO of CMC, said: "IoT is being widely embraced with the number of connected devices growing rapidly. The IoT competition for universities allows students to unleash their potential in the IoT domain and actively involve talented Iraqi youth in the country's evolution towards a connected society." Around 29bn connected devices are forecasted by 2022, of which around 18bn will be related to IoT. Connected IoT devices include connected cars, machines, metres, sensors, point-of-sales terminals, consumer electronics, and wearables. Between 2016 and 2022, IoT devices are expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 21%, driven by new use cases. Ali Al Zahid, CEO of Zain Iraq, said: "IoT supports digital transformation and development of new business models and offerings. This competition will enable the Iraqi youth to share their technology innovations and act as a platform to facilitate the country's digital transformation." The collaboration between Zain Iraq, Ericsson, and CMC is a continuation of the series of initiatives to help turn the communications sector in the Middle East and Africa into one of the most dynamic and vibrant in the world. Rafiah Ibrahim, the head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: "With 20bn IoT devices predicted in the next five years, there is an array of untapped business opportunities. Our joint initiative with Zain Iraq and CMC aims to create sustainable value and eventually make a positive impact on business, people, and society in Iraq. By engaging with students, we share our knowledge on the latest advanced technologies and capitalise on their innovative thinking towards a connected future." Jury teams from Zain Iraq, Ericsson, and CMC will evaluate the projects and select five finalists. The top three winning teams will receive monetary prizes in addition to internship opportunities at Zain Iraq and Ericsson's headquarters at Stockholm, Sweden.
