June Sugiyama has been with Vodafone for more years than she cares to mention, but has been with Vodafone Americas Foundation (VAF)  for 10 years, where she currently serves as the Director.   Vodafone Americas Foundation is currently  running a competition called  the Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project, looking for new ways of addressing social issues with wireless technology from around the world to make an impact.   Learn more about her and the Wireless Innovation Project below.

How did you get involved with Vodafone? What drew you to the organization?

Sugiyama was there before Vodafone merged with AirTouch—the merger that expanded  the global field for both  organizations.   She's proud to be with the Vodafone Americas Foundation, and says that, social investment has always been part of the corporate culture there, so, in that sense, the company is way ahead of the game!   "There's no other global corporation like us," Sugiyama says, because, "we have 24 foundations worldwide.    We work together like a group, but also independently because individual countries' needs are different."

How did the VAF create the Wireless Innovation Project?

VAF just completed a 5-year scholarship program in the United States to advance wireless engineering.   During the program, Sugiyama visited many universities, and discovered that great innovations were taking place, but  they seemed  siloed in departments and not getting out  to organizations and causes that could use these innovations.   Sugiyama and her colleagues  started thinking, "how can people we know on the outside of these institutions, like NGOs, get their hands on the innovations?"   This is why the competition is structured to encourage collaboration, talking across sectors and interdisciplinary styles.   While there are many existing competitions where engineers submit great ideas,  few encourage this level of cross disciplinary collaboration.

What does innovation mean to you?   To VAF?

Sugiyama said, "innovation is a unique way of doing something; thinking about something in a way that it has never been thought of before."As far as VAF's view of innovation, at least for the Wireless Innovation Project, it has to  be  wireless related and, as Sugiyama says, "we really are looking for great impact in the field—it's one of the reasons the competition isn't restricted to universities and open to others, like NGO's.   There certainly have to be people in the field who have thought about how they do things, and thought of solutions!"

What is the future of wireless technology for the foundation, in your opinion?

"The future for us is access," Sugiyama told me, "whether it be communications or education or medical care, remote areas or poor or otherwise.   Access: to have something they really need  and don't have."    

Who else is Vodafone watching in the field?   Any others that those interested in wireless innovations could/should be paying attention to?

"We are a unique organization," Sugiyama explained, "innovation is what we are trying to do every day."   With the foundations around the world, they look for opportunities to partner with local organizations, like in Spain where they were able to partner with universities to come up with ideas about e-health and using wireless technology in the medical field.   "Sometimes there is a match with how a technology we are working on can solve an issue an NGO is working on." You can learn more about the different foundations here.

What do you hope will come out of the Project as far as pie-in-the-sky scale outcomes?

"Pie in the sky," Sugiyama said, "exactly! We did initial research because we wanted to be sure there were unique innovations out there and we weren't doing the compeitition to be fashionable. One example to mention is when we came upon this mobile microscope project.   A university engineer discovered how, with a few adaptations on a mobile phone, it could be transformed into a mobile microscope.   It allows a field worker in a remote area to take blood samples and send the picture back to the clinic."

What are you most interested in about the Project?

"That something truly innovative  will come out of it," Sugiyama said.   There are five broad categories for the competition, health, eduation, access to communication, environment and economic development; "we try to make it as wide as possible because we are looking for something fantastic, and if it's too limited then we shoot ourselves in the foot."

How can people get involved?

Applications will be accepted online from November 17 to February 2 at http://project.vodafone-us.com.  

Next Steps:

• Learn more about the Project
• Submit your project online
• Spread the word to potential applicants and direct them to the Challenge website: http://project.vodafone-us.com

Tip of the day from Sugiyama: "Submissions should definitely have some sort of business plan or demonstration of financial feasibility."  

Learn more about the Wireless Innovation Project here.