Developing rural areas and nurturing talent in India
La Fondation Dassault Systèmes India supported a number of projects in 2020 championing the development of rural areas. Photovoltaic solutions powering irrigation pumps, spraying devices and water purification systems play a key role in this program. Solar energy is also used in new pasteurization, dehydration and portable refrigeration systems for transporting drugs. The ultimate goal is to make villages self-sufficient in both energy and food by implementing innovative, sustainable and local fruit and vegetable production strategies.
The foundation for a circular ecosystem will be laid through a shift from managing waste to recycling useful materials. Water-related issues are the focus for two of the other projects supported by the Foundation — a floating system that collects the waste from lakes and rivers, and another that curbs pollution on waterways.
La Fondation Dassault Systèmes India also took its talent development initiative to the next level. The “Made in 3D” program introduced by La Fondation Dassault Systèmes in Europe in 2016 to inspire students to become future innovators and entrepreneurs was successfully adapted to India in 2020. Lastly, the ConnectNext initiative introduced a new form of collaboration and interaction between industry and academia in India, giving businesses the opportunity to spot talent while allowing students to showcase their skills and abilities through webinars and virtual events.
Training future generations of engineers in Africa
InnoTechLab, which was established with support from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, is a tech innovation lab held a launch event in October 2020 in Yaoundé (Cameroon) in the presence of the minister for employment and professional training and the minister for small and medium-sized enterprises. The center will foster experimentation with and training in digital technologies and 3D simulations.
Dassault Systèmes employees will share their knowledge under a skills-based volunteering program and help to train a new generation of African engineers. Industrial engineering, urban planning, energy, agriculture, logistics, mobility, life sciences and connected health are fields covered by this initiative.
InnoTechLab is also the cornerstone of a strategy for upskilling young engineers across Africa. In parallel, the Haile-Manas Academy has initiated a plan to build an innovative school at Debre Birhan thanks to support from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes US. It will educate 400 talented students from across the country.
They will receive high-caliber teaching spanning multiple disciplines and will gain professional skills through access to a “makers” space. The teachers will be trained in how to support and guide students in extra-curricular workshops during which they will learn the basics of 3D design and engineering technologies.
