Tag: hackathons

Earlier this year, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), hosted the fourth edition of the European Big Data Hackathon on AWS. During this year’s event, participants were tasked with developing data analytics tools to build an early warning system using data from credit card transactions to alert of sudden changes in the economy relevant for EU policymakers. Learn how Eurostat leveraged the flexibility and scalability of AWS to allow 24 teams across Europe to compete and build a viable early warning system over four days.

Novel challenges require novel solutions. To address the COVID-19 pandemic, public sector organizations are holding virtual hackathons to solve problems that arise from the virus and its effects on society. Hackathons #WirVsVirus in Germany, Hack the Crisis in Sweden, and #EUvsVirus brought together thousands of stakeholders to brainstorm and create innovative solutions using technology and cloud computing to address the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Attendees at these virtual events worked to find solutions for problems like faster diagnosis of COVID-19 and connecting food with those in need. From technical mentorship to AWS Promotional Credit and providing access to technologies like AI, AWS supported these hackathons, their participants, and their solutions.

Maybe you’ve never thought about hackathons before. Or maybe you have a vague idea as to what they are. Or perhaps you are the champion of hundreds of hackathons. Either way, read on to learn why you should consider hackathons in a new way.