Luanda: The Lungisa Agro project won the award at the first edition of the Angola Ideas Hackathon this Thursday, in the areas of technological agriculture, green technologies, and rural entrepreneurship. According to Angola Press News Agency, the hackathon is an innovation event that brings together multidisciplinary teams for a limited period to develop technological and creative solutions for concrete problems related to agriculture, environmental sustainability, and rural development. In second place was the Hidrosyne project, and in third place Makini, both linked to solutions focused on agriculture. The winners received certificates of participation and seven hundred thousand kwanzas each, to be invested in the development of their projects. During the awards ceremony, the head of the winning project, Pedro Calueca, explained that the project consists of a mobile application that calculates fertilizer dosage, recommends fertilization, and evaluates and characterizes soils. The project aims to help sma ll farmers prepare their land through digital support. Calueca emphasized the group's mission to grow the product, test it in the market, and add more functionalities to the application. He added that the creation of the project was motivated by the relevance of the challenge, identifying an area with much hardship and few solutions, aiming to help family farmers. On the occasion, the secretary of State for Tourism, Augusto Kalikemala, congratulated the participants who worked hard to make the projects a reality, recognizing the teams' efforts in demonstrating the spirit of the hackathon by finding solutions to the proposed agricultural challenges. According to the secretary, the ideas presented aim to solve crucial agricultural problems, such as pest control, input quality, soil assessment, irrigation, and logistics, offering opportunities for the government and the private sector. The Timbuktoo Agritech Center of Excellence is a strategic hub designed to position Angola as a Pan-African reference in sust ainable agriculture, green technology, and technology-based rural entrepreneurship. It aims to catalyze a modern agricultural innovation ecosystem, connecting entrepreneurs to mentors, investors, and institutional partners. The official stated that the importance of the project lies in three dimensions: structural transformation of the economy (increased productivity and efficiency), social and territorial inclusion (democratization of access to technology in rural communities), and continental integration, aligning with the Timbuktoo network. He stressed that the Executive reaffirms its commitment to strengthening innovation ecosystems, creating a favorable regulatory environment, and mobilizing funding so that Angola can create its own solutions to African challenges, transitioning from a primary resource economy to a knowledge-based economy.
