The rail industry in the UK organized Hack the Rails – a 48-hour hackathon that took place last weekend. Over 100 developers and designers from around the world traveled by train from London to York over the span of 2 days while tapping away on their laptops in an attempt to solve overcrowdings, delays, and improve WiFi on the rail network. The best ideas from the hackathon will be presented to ministers and rail executives next month and the winning plan will be awarded a £25,000 investment fund to help get their idea off the ground. The hackathon aims to change the customer experience problem the rail network has been facing.
Similarly, BDL Accelerate 2015 is hosting two hackathons, Web & Mobile Hackathon and Wearables Hackathon, that will be tackling challenges that the public is faced with on a daily basis in Lebanon. The participants of the Web & Mobile Hackathon will be provided with a brief that will consist of a specific theme and the contestants will have to collaboratively brainstorm and work extensively to find a web or mobile solution to a specific issue that is shared with them at the start of the hackathon. This hackathon is organized by MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab & WDS with cash prizes of $6,000.
As for the Wearables Hackathon, it’s powered Innovo, a DNY Group company that will be providing electronic components, a whole bunch of sensors, a wearable sleeve, 3D printing capabilities, and more to the participants grouped in teams, who will dream up and hack together wearables to enhance lifestyle or sports in 36 to 48 hours. In addition to the $6,000 cash prize, the participants will also have the opportunity to pursue their project at Innovo’s lab after the hackathon is over.
Hackathons are considered as a great way to start solving real life problems, as a training session, or as a way to prepare participants and educate them on the process of solving issues. Think of a hackathon as the start of a long journey rather than 36-48 hour hackathons as a solution. Anyone from any background or age can participate in the hackathons hosted by BDL Accelerate 2015. In the spirit of finding the next generation of entrepreneurs, the BDL Accelerate 2015 team has been visiting all major universities in Lebanon to inspire youth to join the startup movement and participate in the hackathons. NRJ Radio, Aghani, and Nostalgie have been tagging along to spread the word further and farther. High school students are also encouraged to attend, with a couple of schools already scheduling class trips for their senior students.
