Samsung Electronics and IOC Nurture "Future Innovators" at Dakar Youth Olympic Games

Joint program with the IOC under the theme of "Sport & Tech"
Ambassadors showcase solutions to community issues
Share experiences with young people from around the world through exhibitions and workshops

Samsung Electronics supported young innovators in taking on challenges at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Youth Olympic Games to be held in Africa, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The event gave students the opportunity to showcase on the international stage the technology solutions they had developed to address community issues and share ideas with young people from around the world.

Samsung Electronics and the IOC said on November 12 that they had partnered around the theme of "Sport & Tech" at the Games and jointly operated the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Impact Programme.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is Samsung Electronics' global corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, which helps young people use their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to solve community problems themselves. Launched in 2010, it offers students selected as global ambassadors the opportunity to take part in various Samsung Electronics and IOC activities and introduce their projects on the international stage.

Global ambassadors who took part in the Games introduced solutions they had developed to address community issues and shared their experiences and ideas with students from several countries.

Students participating in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow pose in front of a booth. Samsung Electronics.

Ela Aksoy of the Oilsorb team from Türkiye said, "I wanted to try to solve a problem I had noticed around me. Through Solve for Tomorrow, I learned about technology and improved my ideas with the help of mentors to develop a solution that actually works." She added, "I'm proud that we were able to present our team's work in Dakar."

Samsung Electronics and the IOC set up a Solve for Tomorrow exhibition space at the Corniche West Live Site in Dakar. The exhibition, which opened on November 1, runs through November 13. Visitors can learn about the ambassadors' solutions, how they developed their ideas, and the challenges they encountered during development.

The exhibition's opening event also featured a panel discussion titled "Youth at the Heart of Global Transformation." Samsung Electronics introduced the program's aim of helping Senegalese students solve problems through technology and sports, and highlighted the role of sport and the Olympic spirit in everyday challenges and collaboration.

The ambassadors also took part in a workshop with IOC Young Leaders from Kenya and Lebanon on social issues facing young people in Africa. The workshop brought together students using technology to address community problems and IOC Young Leaders who have driven social change through sport, giving them a chance to share their experiences.

Jo Sijeong, executive vice president and head of the People Team and the Corporate Citizenship Office at Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience (DX) Division, said, "Our commitment with the IOC at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games is to give young people the opportunity to discover their potential through technology and sport." She added, "We will continue to work with the IOC to support young people as they grow through new learning and confidence, and bring about greater change in their communities."

James Macleod, IOC Director of National Olympic Committee (NOC) Relations, Olympic Solidarity and Olympism365, said, "The Youth Olympic Games are about more than competition. They are a place for young people to take on challenges, learn from one another and experience the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence." He added, "The meeting between Solve for Tomorrow ambassadors and young people in Dakar is a meaningful opportunity to share ideas and learn from one another, and to see what can be achieved by bringing together creativity, technology and sport."

Samsung Electronics and the IOC first operated the Solve for Tomorrow Global Ambassador Program at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. This year, they reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their collaboration to nurture future talent at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The two organizations jointly launched the Solve for Tomorrow Impact Programme in August 2026. Running through the end of January 2028, the program aims to help young innovators develop their ideas and put them to use in real communities.

Building on their partnership, which will continue through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Samsung Electronics and the IOC plan to continue collaborating on Solve for Tomorrow's "Sport & Tech" theme and the Impact Programme.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.