In the recently concluded ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023: Geospatial Youth Edition, a team of Singapore Management University Year 3 students emerged as winners in the Singapore Finalist category as well as in the ASEAN Distinction Award by presenting an innovative solution to the challenges in the sharing landscape in Singapore. The team comprised SMU School of Computing and Information Systems’ Soo Yu Rong Arick, Yeo Wei Ni and Yan Jiaxing, who were presented the award by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment on 15 March 2023.

The ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023: Geospatial Youth Edition provides a platform for students to showcase their innovative solutions to pressing issues in the geospatial field and support nations in achieving their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Entries were submitted by Geospatial Agencies from Indonesia (Badan Informasi Geospatial), Philippines (National Mapping and Resource Information Authority) and Singapore (Singapore Land Authority).  A total of 33 teams from 23 Institutes of Higher Learning across Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines participated in the competition this year.

The winning team, “Jio-Spatial” identified the challenges in the sharing landscape in Singapore which includes a mismatch and duplication of agency efforts, which makes the sharing economy/community inefficient. To address this problem, the team came up with “JIOHelp”, a platform to connect donors and the needy.

JIOHelp is a platform that uses integrated agency information, geospatial visualisation, and a match-making algorithm to connect donors with beneficiaries, reducing inefficiencies in the sharing landscape. The team had been working on the project since 2022, taking time out from their studies and internships to prepare for the competition.

The team's enthusiasm on the sharing landscape was driven by their belief that volunteering is a meaningful activity and their wish to improve the landscape for all stakeholders. Through their platform, they hope to promote a more open and transparent smart city that all citizens and businesses can participate in.

The team also hopes to partner with NGOs and Government Agencies to strengthen the ecosystem of support for community and explore co-creation with social enterprises by leveraging on assistive technologies to foster the integration of an inclusive society.

Soo Yu Rong Arick, “Jio-Spatial” team leader said: “Our team recognised the challenges in the volunteering and sharing landscape in Singapore and the need for a more efficient and sustainable community. With JIOHelp, we set out to bridge the gap between different stakeholders by providing a platform that connects people in need with those who can provide timely help and resources based on location, availability, and the nature of assistance required.

We overcame the issues of mismatch and duplication of efforts by creating a centralised platform that streamlines the sharing economy and encourages collaboration. We are proud to have won the ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023 and we hope to contribute towards a more sustainable and connected community in Singapore.”