Success Stories
About the Project
During Stars of Science Season 8, Abderrahim wowed the jury members and the audience with his smart-wear autism shirt, coined WonderKit. The innovation is designed to aid parents that have a child with autisticspectrum disorder (ASD); monitoring extreme anxiety and panic attacks. The low-cost solution keeps parents up to date via their personal tablet or phone.
After Stars of Science, Abderrahim Bourouis from Algeria partnered with a start-up company to help develop the design and technology of the innovation, successfully securing a patent. He is currently working on the innovation’s third installment, adapted for both ASD and other hyperactivity disorders. Abderrahim joined forces with Bournemouth University Research Laboratory in the UK to further advance WonderKit’s artificial intelligence and algorithm ability. He is also in dialogue with internationally recognized ASD centers in the UK and France. In Malaysia he is even close to introducing his kit to the market! The social entrepreneur has his eyes set to make the Middle East his next launch destination.
Beyond Stars of Science
Finishing second place in Stars of Science Season 8 opened many doors for Abderrahim. After the show concluded, he worked as Research and Development (R&D) Manager at Algérie Télécom; the state-owned telecommunications operator. Through his work in the R&D department, Abderrahim – holder of a PhD in Telecommunications and Electrical Engineering – paved the way for many youngsters to venture into the world of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Abderrahim is currently working between Malaysia and Dubai as a consultant in ICT projects related to innovation in both country, along with his fellow colleague and SOS alumni Sylia Khecheni. Sylia and Abderrahim teamed up and founded their own R&D startup, Innoteva, working between Malaysia and Algeria. In the last 8 months, they met with many decision-makers in Algeria in order to sell one of their innovative services and they have succeeded to get the first approval.
Abderrahim and his team submitted two applications in two different incubators in order to get support and funds and they are still waiting for the response.
In 2017, Abderrahim was selected for a prestigious scholarship with British Petroleum and took part in the One Young World Summit. The annual conference joins the world’s brightest young leaders with international leaders to debate and share innovative solutions for some of the planet’s most pressing issues.
Staying true to his Stars of Science innovation, Abderrahim moved continents with the WonderKit team including Sylia to Malaysia’s Silicon Valley, Cyber Jaya. In the technological hub, he spends his days creating R&D ventures in the ICT field where he has already manufactured 18 prototypes of Wonderkit and he’s still working on the content. Abderrahim has also submitted 2 new patents in Algeria regarding new innovations products in ITS and IoT.
Personal Reflection
Abderrahim continues to hold big goals and envisions great success for his future. “The potential of assistive and adaptive technologies is endless. I made the conscious decision to dedicate my life to providing solutions that will make life easier, especially for people with special needs, senior citizens, and children.” Abderrahim tributes Stars of Science for much of his success: “It is an academia that has opened many, many doors for me. I am in awe at how far I have come in my journey, where I stand now, and what the path holds ahead.”
Follow Abderrahim
Innoteva.com
Twitter – @bourouis1581
Facebook – @Abderrahim Bourouis
Media Links
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/13/11/2016/Smart-shirt-to-help-kids-with-ASD
http://www.al-watan.com/news-details/id/39146
https://fibladi.com/dz/ar/technology/item/628130
https://www.el-massa.com/dz/index.php/component/k2/item/29267
https://www.annasronline.com/index.php/2014-08-17-13-22-10/vip/60852-2016-11-23-20-25-18
