Hackathons organized by the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic are extending to regional cities of Slovakia. Another event under the Hacknime.to project, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic, is scheduled for October 20-21, 2023, in Prešov. Talented hackers will be tasked with creating a concept for a ‘digital twin’ of the third-largest city in Slovakia. The city of Prešov aims to leverage digital services to advance open data initiatives, enhancing their usability for municipal planning and decision-making for both the local government and the public. Prizes totaling 6,000 euros await the top three hacking teams.
Digital twins, i.e., exact digital copies of real objects, processes, or even entire cities, represent one of the hottest trends in various industries today. Utilizing the most modern technologies, including AI, they can simulate real events and their effects in the virtual world — all at a fraction of the time and cost.
At the “Digital twin of the city of Prešov” hackathon, teams that sign up through the Hacknime.to website will create a concept in one of the areas affecting the operation and management of the city. However, it must be based on the real environment of Prešov and take into account the current availability of data, as well as allow their future expansion.
“The city of Prešov processes a large amount of data in its functioning and decision-making, and there will be even more of it in the future. Whether it involves energy meters or street lighting control, we are increasingly managing these aspects through smart technologies within the framework of smart city concepts. The digital twin serves as a crucial tool, providing complete control from a centralized location. With it, we can manage and simulate city processes based on real data collected from all corners of its territory,” said the mayor of Prešov, František Oľha.
On October 20-21, 2023, the Museum of salt in Prešov will offer the facilities to hacking teams at Námestie osloboditeľov 4, while the most ambitious teams will be able to hack even during the night. Based on experience from previous events, it is best for contestants to form 2-5-member teams composed of participants with the ability to program and create applications, but also experience from other areas of IT and business. Functionality and originality will be evaluated, but also the user experience and the presentation of the proposed solution.
Registration for the hackathon is possible until Wednesday, October 18, or until the capacity of participants is filled. However, there was enormous interest in the last two hackathons, and we had to close the registration about a week before the deadline. Therefore, do not hesitate and apply as a team or as an individual as soon as possible.
