SOCAR Wennovation Challenge – a cutting-edge online open innovation initiative – welcomes entrepreneurs and game-changers all around the world, who are shaping technologies of the future today in refinery and petrochemical industries.
Wennovation Challenge Program:
A Collaborative Way to Foster Digital Innovation
The innovation program provides an open and collaborative approach for building partnerships to solve digital transformation challenges of SOCAR Türkiye by fostering digital innovation together.
Explore our challenges and submit your solution for consideration. Let’s collaborate to drive digital innovation!
What Drives Us?
Building a Strong Regional Ecosystem
To build a strong regional ecosystem with Oil & Gas entrepreneurs, industrial partners and corporate executives to reshape the refinery sector's global landscape and create a sustainable future.
Supporting RefineryTech Startups in the Region
To support RefineryTech startups in Turkey and the region to grow their business on a global dimension, define the market and collaborate with the leading specialists.
Visualizing the Future
Visualize the future by introducing the next big thing in the refinery and petrochemical sectors, and empower partnership and collaboration with startups to revolutionize the industry.
Area of Interest: What Are We Looking for?
Through collaboration with startups, we aim to embrace the most innovative solutions which address one of the following categories.
Asset Management & HSE
- Predictive Maintenance/Anomaly Detection – Specific equipment and failure mode based wide experience/use cases
- Digitization & automation of work processes – use of applications in mobile devices/tablets for more efficient execution of operations
- Adoption of wearable technologies including AR/VR
- Real-time locating systems – scaleable, low investment and network-independent solutions that are fast enough to pilot
- Robot/drone-assisted inspection / data collection that can delivery financial value
- 3D printing – especially use cases in printing spare parts of critical equipment in large industries
Refinery and Petrochemical Operations
- Real-time-optimization and economic model predictive control (yield/throughput)
- Pooling optimization (refinery products) via mixed-integer / linear programing
- Digitization & automation of work processes – use of applications in mobile devices/tablets for more efficient execution of operations
- Adoption of wearable technologies including AR/VR
- Real-time locating systems – scaleable, low investment and network-independent solutions that are fast enough to pilot
- Robot/drone-assisted inspection / data collection that can delivery financial value
Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
- Real time energy optimization
- Digital carbon footprint / emission tracking
- New tech in sustainable energy resources
- Digitalization for cleaner production
Fintech & Other Opportunities
- AI-based compliance & regtech
- Smart and dynamic cash flow analysis & management
- Blockchain based business processes for O&G industry
- Automated budget forecasting & management
- Innovative digital HR solution
- SaaS solutions with low or no need of system integration
Jury Members
Aslı Kurul Türkmen
Managing DirectorEndeavor Turkey
Aslı Kurul Türkmen
Managing DirectorEndeavor Turkey
Burcu Alkan Fincan
Transformation Group DirectorSOCAR Türkiye
Burcu Alkan Fincan
Transformation Group DirectorSOCAR Türkiye
Efe Erdem
Executive DirectorMEXT
Efe Erdem
Executive DirectorMEXT
Hakan Irgıt
Chief Digital Transformation & Information Technologies OfficerSOCAR Türkiye
Hakan Irgıt
Chief Digital Transformation & Information Technologies OfficerSOCAR Türkiye
İbrahim Kadıoğlu
Head of Business Excellence, Refinery and Petrochemical Business UnitSOCAR Türkiye
İbrahim Kadıoğlu
Head of Business Excellence, Refinery and Petrochemical Business UnitSOCAR Türkiye
Kaan Akın
Founder & CEOHackquarters
Kaan Akın
Founder & CEOHackquarters
Kıvanç Zaimler
Member of the Board of DirectorsIICEC
Kıvanç Zaimler
Member of the Board of DirectorsIICEC
Tabriz Ammayev
Deputy Head of Strategic Management and Innovations DepartmentSOCAR
Tabriz Ammayev
Deputy Head of Strategic Management and Innovations DepartmentSOCAR
Winners & Finalists
Winner
AlloyAdditive develops a 3D metal printer that can additively manufacture aerospace metals.
Winner
Delivers.ai is a device agnostic technology platform enabling autonomous last-mile and lastmeter delivery.
Winner
Flyability creates solutions to support internal inspections, including collision-tolerant caged drones and software
Winner
JetScoring is a financial analysis platform that accelerates credit decisions for managers by using machine learning algorithms
Finalist
CYC is transforming tank cleaning with its robotic solutions, replacing manual labor to improve safety and optimize HSE practices.
Finalist
Finboot simplifies enterprise blockchain with their No-code/Low-code platform, MARCO, enabling Web3 and the future of the internet for businesses.
Finalist
GOARC aims to build an AI-assisted platform for Industry 5.0, connecting humans, machines, and systems in autonomous factories.
Finalist
Offsetted is a one-stop shop for decarbonization.
Finalist
RoT Studio is a fast, easy, accurate and affordable zero code software solution to create the VR content (scenarios, trainings).
Finalist
Visionaize Inc. empowers oil and gas companies to optimize operations by advanced 3D digital twin solutions, AR/VR training, and AI-driven predictive analytics.
Timeline
2023
Program Launch & Initiating Application Period
Startups are invited to submit their applications for the challenge. The application period lasts for one month, closing on February 5, 2023.
Online Meetup
A virtual gathering where the challenge details, rules, and expectations are presented. The full version of the online meetup is available on YouTube. Watch it at your convenience to catch up on all the information and insights shared during the event. Here’s the YouTube link:
Application Deadline
Last day to submit startup applications for the challenge. The jury members will begin the evaluation process after the application deadline.
Pre-selection Day
The 22 pre-selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas. Each startup is allocated 5 minutes to present their digital solutions. After each pitch, the SOCAR Türkiye Digital Transformation Team will ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the startups’ projects.
Final Challenge Day
The top 10 finalists from the pre-selection day compete in the final challenge. Jury members engage with the startups in a Q&A session to delve into the details of their digital solutions. The winners are announced at this event. The full version of the Challenge Day is available on YouTube – check link below.
FAQs
SOCAR Wennovation Challenge is open to start-ups all around the world, which have established company, have an available team and are ready to showcase their product/solution addressing the specific defined challenges.
The companies that fulfill the foregoing conditions can fill out and submit the application form by clicking “apply now” button. When submitting your solution via form, you will receive an email confirming your submission has been received.
You must complete the application form in English. All the presentations pitched during the program must be done in English as well.
Please check “area of interest section” to see details. The main challenge topics are as follows:
– Asset management and HSE
– Refinery and petrochemical operations
– Energy efficiency and sustainability
– Fintech and other opportunities
You can apply with multiple solutions if they comply with the criteria.
The application system will close on February 5th, 2023.
10 (+2) startups will be qualified to the Challenge Day in pre-selection day to be hold on April 11th, 2023.
Ten startups will be selected based on our criteria for the Challenge Day (11 May 2023). Following their presentations, the winner(s) to be decided and announced by juries.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Send us an email at hello@hackquarters.co and we’ll get back to you shortly!
About SOCAR Türkiye
SOCAR Türkiye Enerji A.Ş. (SOCAR Türkiye), a subsidiary of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) which is one of the most deep-rooted global oil and natural gas companies, initiated its business operations in Turkey upon acquisition of 51 percent of the shares of Petkim from the Privatization Administration in 2008.
Drawing attention with its giant projects realized one after another which will have a total investment value of 19.5 billion US Dollars once completed, SOCAR Türkiye encompasses the best-in-breed companies such as Petkim, TANAP, STAR Refinery, SOCAR Terminal, Petkim RES (Wind Power Plant), Bursagaz, Kayserigaz, Enervis, SOCAR Enerji Ticaret, Millenicom, SOCAR Ticaret and SOCAR Depolama.
SOCAR Türkiye, which has become a symbol of the developing economic cooperation between the fraternal countries of Azerbaijan and Turkey, provides support to enable Turkey to be an influential power across the international energy arena with its investments. Maintaining its investments with the strong belief in the potential and future of Turkey, SOCAR Türkiye provides a substantial contribution to the economies of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Having completed the integration process in refinery, petro-chemistry, energy, logistics, distribution and storage, the group is the biggest industrial holding of Turkey.
Focusing on its main investment areas, namely petro-chemical products, refining, natural gas trade and distribution, SOCAR Türkiye is the first company to get the title of 'Private Industrial Zone' in Turkey for its fields covering most of its investments in Aliaga.
If you have the right solutions,
we invite you to apply now through our open innovation platform, where you can discover our digital requirements. Join us in our mission to accelerate digital innovation!
Contact Us
Should you have further questions, please get in touch via email. We will get back to you soon.
SOCAR Türkiye
Vadistanbul Bulvar, Ayazağa Mah. Azerbaycan Cad. No: 109-E, 1D Blok, 34485, Sarıyer / İstanbul