TAIKAI - Digital Hackathons - Newsletter

 

The way social good is fostering a new participation era

From time to time, we hear about how young factions of society seem to be increasingly more disenfranchised or disengaged with relevant issues. Political processes are a good example of how a portion of the population with little or no influence in decisions feels and acts alienated, accepting long-term impacts that stretch far beyond.    Participation, in most of its forms, appears to be a real challenge! Still, one of our latest competitions, SOLVE THE GAP - 48th EU Youth Digital Hackathon, recently showed how engagement eventually wins and leads to enduring action - if we shine a light on the right sort of drives. Follow the link for a closer look at this.

Challenges to match your skills

Hack for Good @Home Is sustainable agriculture a topic you are interested in? So, you probably already know that water efficiency is key, and the latest Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation challenge is looking out for innovators to join and work on it. Don’t miss out the change to win 3.000€ while making an impact   Secure the prize by entering here. Shift APPens Promoted by the Computer Science Students Group of Coimbra’s Academic Association and jeKnowledge, a junior company from the university’s Sciences and Technologies Faculty, Shift Appens is an open-to-all, non-stop 48-hour challenge to develop an application. No theme, no rules, just ideas bursting!   Register here and marvel the jury!

Landing.Jobs Data Challenge Data geeks will love this one: help the tech community and earn a 1.000€ prize along the way by analyzing raw data from the Tech Careers Report 2021 and helping Landing.Jobs creating insights that will support everybody in better decisions about IT careers. Sounding interesting?   Join here! Building The Future Hackathon The winners of the electric mobility challenge promoted by Galp, GoWithFlow, Microsoft and iMatch have already been announced! Get to know the victorious team and project, related to road safety and cyclists, an inspiring solution to solve one of today's problems.   Hackathon results, here!

Team of the Month: Eletronic Geriatric Aid

Funny how some solutions are born even before a challenge brings light to a matching problem. That’s what happened with Hack for Good @ Home, sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, an initiative for which Gonçalo Rebelo and the rest of team EGA made a winning contribution.   “By helping my grandmother on her daily medicine routine, I realized how a pill dispenser using artificial intelligence could come handy to many people with a similar necessity”, Gonçalo recalls. It didn’t take long from sharing the original idea with a course mate to having a project drawing - on a restaurant napkin, by the way. And when the opportunity presented itself, Gonçalo and all four other team members were ready to suggest the Eletronic Geriatric Aid, an intelligent pill dispenser that improves the process of organizing and taking medication.   “Our project allows people to have access to correct medication at the right time, avoiding human error and facilitating the approach of health professionals. When the medication is not withdrawn, the device alerts the closest family member or caregiver; it even includes lifestyle tips, to further improve good health practices”, he explains.    Currently working with Gulbenkian, investigation centers and pharmaceutical laboratories to turn EGA’s prototype into a product, Gonçalo believes “the team’s problem approach and humanized solution” were key to win. And very well done so!

Bedtime reading material

A couple of interesting readings you may want to take a look:   — The Future of Innovation – How Microsoft Created 70,000 Innovators — "Decentralized Reputation is About to Open a New Web3 Frontier:" Kevin Owocki — How to Get the Most Out of Hiring an Innovation Consultant   Share your visions and suggestions. Doubts are also welcome - we’re listening. Stay safe and keep hackin’!   TAIKAI Team

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