Since 2018, Samsung has held Solve for Tomorrow in Canada every year. The program has empowered students with insights, knowledge and funding to help create innovative solutions to some of the country’s most pressing challenges.

In 2020 and 2021, students from Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia and Memorial University in Newfoundland had the honor of winning the annual Solve for Tomorrow. Their big win was only the beginning. See how these students have taken their award-winning ideas to the next level.

Securing meals for the people of Nova Scotia

In 2020, a group of university students from Nova Scotia won the grand prize of Solve for Tomorrow. The team’s idea was to digitize Project Square Roots, a token program they have previously launched in an attempt to tackle food insecurity and waste in the province. The token, each worth five dollars, is assigned to customers and can be redeemed for meals that would otherwise go to waste.

After winning first place, the students officially launched the Token App and recruited restaurants around Halifax to join efforts. When COVID-19 hit, however, in-person dining was prohibited. Their system had to be redesigned. “We quickly adapted to the changes and launched virtual tokens and a live Meal Feature on the app,” explained one of the students. “The new feature helps guarantee that customers will receive a meal in exchange for a token, allowing them to view available meals on the app and proceed to the desired location to pick them up.”

According to the team, their app will undergo a relaunch with new features and partnerships from more restaurants. The team is excited to expand its reach statewide, to other towns and provinces in Canada. “Winning Solve for Tomorrow was a huge leap for us,” they say. “Drawing the attention of a leading tech company like Samsung, gave us the confidence to set and achieve goals we’ve never imagined.”

Transforming emergency medical operations

Earlier in 2021, Diego and Megan, students from Memorial University of Newfoundland, won the competition with Project HeartStarter, an idea that solves the need for immediate emergency medical care for cardiac arrest victims. HeartStarter delivers Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) by drone, connecting patients with life-saving AEDs in under three minutes.

Despite their relatively recent win, Diego and Megan had some rapid advancements. “Winning Solve for Tomorrow gave us a sense of clarity and validation of our idea. We realized that we have a real opportunity to transform the way healthcare operates in Canada,” they say.

Diego and Megan have reinforced HeartStarter’s infrastructure. “We’ve logged over 500 AEDs and educated over 7,000 individuals on heart health. PulsePoint AED app has also had over 4,360 downloads since spring, which is a significant milestone for us.” The students have even applied for approval from Transport Canada, a federal institution, to expand their registry and education sessions. “The approval is expected in early 2023. This will allow us to move forward on expansion plans. In the meantime, we will keep the momentum going and promote it further in nearby regions.”