09.04.2020

CORONATHON.me: Online hackathon to respond COVID-19 and recover from crisis

Sign up for CoronaThon and help Montenegro find innovative solutions to fight new Corona virus

Podgorica, april 9 - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Culture are organizing the first online hackathon in Montenegro - CORONATHON.me, in collaboration with: DevClub, Alicorn, Digitalizj.Me and Science and Technology Park Montenegro. The hackathon media partners are RTCG, TV Vijesti and portal Vijesti.

The aim of the hackathon is to find solutions that will help Montenegro to adapt quickly, respond to the crisis and recover from the effects of the new corona virus - COVID-19. The event will bring together the digital community, experts from various fields and citizens, and a virtual competition will be held on April 24-26. Teams will have 48 hours to develop a solution, from the comfort of their own home.

The spread of COVID-19 is not just a health crisis. The pandemic also causes a social and economic crisis, which threatens to leave deep scars, weaken markets and deepen inequalities. However, as the virus spreads and the consequences are felt, technology and innovation play an increasing role in overcoming challenges. Not only does technology facilitate functioning and daily life in a restricted environment but it also offers effective solutions for rapid response and recovery from a crisis.

CoronaThon participants, relying on the collective intelligence of the digital, scientific-research and academic community, will focus their energy and knowledge on finding the best, fastest and most effective solutions for the three priorities:

Protecting Life and Public Health: Helping individuals and families preserve their health; Providing community support to slow down the spread of the virus; Protection of health professionals; Assist in providing faster and better response of the health system; Promoting healthy lifestyles and helping to build mechanisms for adaptation, including psycho-social support.

Accelerating recovery: Support the business sector to adapt and offer new services; Assistance in creating employment opportunities for young people; Providing access to small business financing and start-up businesses; Innovation in the provision of services and support for the most vulnerable, in the context of employment and social protection; Protecting creative businesses - mapping creatives and connecting them to market demand; Use of new data and support for digital infrastructure.
Providing a sustainable future: Innovative solutions to keep greenhouse gas emissions as low as possible through green tourism and sustainable transportation; Providing new green jobs; Creating new creative content in order to promote Montenegro and its cultural heritage (eg through demo video games); Educational activities - including investment in digital skills and infrastructure.

All proposed solutions should focus on the protection of human rights as well as the protection of vulnerable groups.

Interested teams can apply by April 20 by 11:59 PM by filling out the form at www.coronathon.me. The teams will have the support of mentors from the IT industry and from one of the areas that the solution focuses on. The audience will be able to follow the finals of the competition via live stream.

The total prize pool is EUR 13,000: 5,000 for the first prize, 3,000 for second prize and 2,000 for third prize, as well as three additional prizes of EUR 1,000 each. The winning teams will also have expert support to implement the solution over the next three months, as well as media promotion.

The jury will select the CoronaThon winners based on the following criteria: sustainability, possibility of replication, impact, feasibility, timeline and innovation. The emphasis is on practical solutions that can be of benefit to individuals, the community and businesses as soon as possible.

For more information on the hackathon, the rules of participation and the competition criteria, visit the official website - www.coronathon.me. For any additional questions, interested parties can contact the organizers via email or social networks:

E-mail: info@coronathon.me

Facebook: CoronaThon.me

Twitter: CoronathonMe

Instagram: coronathon.me

Media contacts:

Ivana Vujovic, Communications Advisor, UNDP Office in Montenegro

Tel: 069 681 222, E-mail: ivana.vujovic@undp.org

Nevena Djurovic, Public Relations Advisor, Ministry of Science

Tel: 067 231 205, E-mail: nevena.djurovic@mna.gov.me

Nikola Radonjic - Bada, national UNDP consultant for cultural policies and creative industries

Tel: 068 232 272, E-mail: kreativne.industrije@mku.gov.me

Sanja Gardasevic, the CEO of Alicorn