Dubai: As many as 57 data analysts, startups and entrepreneurs from 15 countries around the world gathered at Expo 2020 Dubai for the Asyad Global Logistics Challenge.
Running until November 4, the world-class event organised in collaboration with Hypermotion Dubai and the Sultanate’s technology arm, Omantel includes two fast-paced competitions; Asyad Global Logistics Hackathon and Asyad Global Logistics Start-up Challenge, both tasked to identify data-driven, industry-transforming solutions to some of the issues faced in the sector today.
“To be a global leader in logistics, and to stay ahead of the curve, we have to constantly think of game-changing ideas and solutions. With the introduction of 4IR technologies, the exponential growth of e-commerce, and the broadening scope of demand for logistics solutions, data has become a crucial tool for operational optimisation and the development of new services,” said Abdulrahman Al Hatmi, Asyad Group CEO.
He added, “Adopting a creative mindset is paramount for the advancement and competitiveness of the logistics industry and by working with our partners at Hypermotion Dubai and Omantel will cement our role as an innovation-catalyst and incubator for technology-driven minds in the region and the world.”
Commenting on Asyad Global Logistics Challenge, Eng. Ghaith Al Darmaki, chief technology officer (CTO) of Asyad Group said, “We are leveraging Asyad’s wealth of data and harnessing emerging technologies to advance the transport and logistics sector in Oman, enhance our efficiencies, devise new solutions and predict future market trends.”
Al Darmaki went on to highlight that the Asyad Global Logistics Hackathon saw the participation of 45 data scientists and analysts of which 3 are budding Omani talents.
Day one of the Hackathon included a series of brainstorming sessions with Asyad team to address the main challenges for the competition.
Participants were given a deep dive into the current sector issues, policies and future plans all of which will come into play during the 9-hour hackathon. The data scientists will have a chance to showcase their skills and share ideas on how to solve these real-world logistics problems, which include vessel maintenance prediction, vessel fuel and route optimization, marine sensors using the Internet of Things (IoT), emissions monitoring, and ports asset damage identification using image processing.
Solutions will be evaluated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms throughout the two-day competition to select the top 4 winners.
Meanwhile, the Asyad Logistics Startup Challenge kicked off with mentorship clinics by leading professionals to support and guide the growth of participating startups. The program also included a presentation on the current trends shaping the transport and logistics sector in Oman, as well as an enlightening fireside chat session with Abdulrahman Al Hatmi, CEO of Asyad Group on how an “Integrated Supply Chain Model Weathers Tectonic Global Shifts.”
The Hypermotion Conference was just as engaging, running several sessions and discussions on tech innovation and its role in modern day logistics particularly in the areas of port and freezone management, maritime logistics, maintenance and ship repair as well as e-commerce.
