Softtek Global Hackathon: Transforming Industry & Communities!

We recently announced we were going to have our first ever Softtek Global Hackathon, and how it was our “shot across the bow” in the new industrial revolution. On October 27^th and 28^th our Hackathon took place in Monterrey, Mexico and La Coruña, Spain. The following is my take on the event – and what an amazing event it was! Check out a video recap here. 

More than 150 super motivated Softtekians from the US, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Spain worked hard for 24 hours straight, building applications for the Internet of Things. And what I saw filled me with pride: 150 souls working together to make a difference and demonstrating how just strong our innovation DNA is. I felt I had a front-row seat to watching history in the making, how the future of IIoT is being formed!

But the Hackathon wasn’t just about addressing industrial challenges. With 68% of Softtekians being millennials (a typically socially conscious group), we also adopted the social responsibility theme to solve challenges within their respective communities.

In fact, Softtek has a strong social responsibility initiative in support of communities around the globe. That’s why we wanted to evaluate the real impact of IIoT on these communities in need.

To get a flavor of the event, check out the video at the right.

I am very proud to announce the winning projects - a brief summary below for Mexico and Spain, respectively: 

1st Place (Mexico) - Waste Prediction & Management Solution 

Today, 200 million people are exposed to contamination due to inadequate waste management. Uncollected solid waste contributes to flooding, air pollution, and public health impacts, such as respiratory ailments, diarrhea and dengue fever. What's more, global cities generate nearly 1.3 billion tons of solid waste per year, and waste management costs are projected to increase 80% by 2025. 

Solution and Impact
The solution is based on creating a predictive model to generate pick-up routes based on monitored waste container utilization. The model would help to decrease pollution levels, and provide improved resource management.

1st Place (Spain) - Safety Environment Network Development

Industrial environments face unforeseen dangers that can cause serious health consequences for employees and users. Risks such as fire, toxic gas and chemical exposure are common threats.  Existing solutions place the burden on workers and do not take the environment into account.

Solution and Impact 
A solution for monitoring, detecting and alerting about health risks in a working environment. Includes static sensors to monitor safety variables in the building and personal (mobile) devices to monitor people on the move and alert them in case of a health risk while guiding them to a safe exit. All devices are connected and monitored through the Predix and Intel platforms.

Congratulations to all teams involved worldwide! Kudos to everyone who made it possible, including our partners GE and INTEL for your support and enthusiasm towards our 1st Global IIoT Hackathon!

Looking forward to the next one! #Global IIoTHacks!