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Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, and Prof. Amany Osama Kamel, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams University, headed by Prof. Neven Assem, Executive Director of the University’s Innovation and Training Sector (ASU-IHub), concluded its participation in the Graduation Projects Support Program under the “Graduation Project Alliances – My Project... My Start” initiative, organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. The University achieved a significant milestone as one of its student teams won first place in the inaugural University Innovation Summit 2026.

Ain Shams University secured first place with the project “Smart Truck Routing and Driver Alertness Monitoring System,” developed by a student team from the University. The achievement reflects the students’ ability to employ artificial intelligence and modern technologies to develop innovative solutions addressing real-world challenges in transportation and safety.

The Summit featured nearly 100 projects from 30 universities and 24 schools. Participating projects underwent several stages of presentation, evaluation, and judging before a panel of experts and specialists, as part of the technology alliance ecosystem supported by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology through the “My Project... My Start” program.

The excellence of the projects supported and monitored by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams University extended beyond winning first place. The top three projects were ranked as follows:

First Place:

• Smart Truck Routing and Driver Alertness Monitoring System – Ain Shams University.

Second Place:

• Advanced Prosthetic Hand Technology with AI – New Cairo Technological University.

Third Place:

• Self-Drive EV (Self-Driving Electric Vehicle) – Beni-Suef Technological University. 

Ain Shams University’s project topping the competition highlights the significance of the technological solutions developed by student teams, particularly in artificial intelligence, smart mobility, and assistive technology. It also reflects the impact of the support, mentoring, and follow-up ecosystem in transforming students’ ideas into practical projects and prototypes with potential for further development.

This achievement crowned a full year of work and follow-up, during which the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams University supported 21 graduation projects by students from various universities. The Center followed up with student teams throughout the different stages of project implementation and development, maintained continuous coordination with the teams and participating entities, and assisted students in addressing technical and implementation challenges through to the presentation, evaluation, and judging stages.

Dr. Mohamed Magdy, Principal Investigator of the project, supervised the implementation of the program, while Ms. Salma Samir, Project Manager, oversaw implementation activities and coordinated among the participating teams and stakeholders.

The participation of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams University came as part of a cycle that supported 420 projects across 11 emerging technology fields, with the participation of 11 partners and total funding of EGP 41 million. The initiative aims to strengthen the student innovation ecosystem and align university education outcomes with the needs of industry and the labor market.

Zewail City of Science, Technology and Innovation hosted the inaugural University Innovation Summit 2026, which provided a platform for showcasing innovative student projects and offered teams the opportunity to engage with experts, specialists, and industry representatives.

The Summit also featured a seminar presented by Dr. Mohamed Magdy on the role of universities in supporting industry and best practices for attracting industrial partners. The seminar addressed ways to strengthen cooperation between academic institutions and the industrial sector and leverage research and student projects to develop technological solutions that meet the needs of society and industry.

The closing events also included the honoring of participating alliances in the presence of several academic leaders, including the President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and Dr. Wael Akl, President of Zewail City of Science, Technology and Innovation. The judging panel included a distinguished group of experts and specialists, among them Eng. Mohamed Ali, Research and Development Manager at Elsewedy.