Berriak

The hackathon (a technological concept that comes from merging the words 'hack' and 'marathon'), which is called "Hack4elder advantAGE", started today and will see international teams work for 30 hours to develop innovative solutions and applications to improve the current and future quality of life for the elderly. This competition encourages an approach involving teamwork and intergenerational cooperation to solve the challenge: How can we help the elderly unleash their full potential and added value in society in a creative and multidisciplinary environment?

This innovative event, organised by the University of Deusto, in collaboration with the AAL Association and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, will open Bizkaia Silver Week. Hack4elder advantAGE brings together two of the main ideas of this event: support for new technological and non-technological solutions for active ageing that help the elderly unleash their full potential and added value in society. In order to do this, we will look to develop solutions in the form of services, products and new business models that may improve the quality of life of the elderly or that give this group greater integration into society, but also new mechanisms to enable the elderly to develop their full potential and added value in society, in a creative and multidisciplinary way.

The launch of the competition was attended by the Provincial Representative for Social Action, Isabel Sánchez Robles; the Rector of the University of Deusto, José María Guibert, and Nicola Filizola, Head of Communications and Public Affairs of the AAL Programme, who were tasked with welcoming the participants.

Held entirely at the Euskalduna Conference Centre, the hackathon is open to hackers, programmers and computer developers, as well as people, institutions, organisations and companies that work in the field of active ageing and/or that are interested in developing services, applications and other products with and for people in this segment of the population. The idea is to encourage intergenerational work, as a result of which the organisation has sought to get groups of older people involved in the initiative.

To respond to this challenge, more than 40 participants from different parts of the world (Spain, Poland, Romania, Holland, Germany, USA , Great Britain, Nigeria, Togo, Algeria, Morocco...) with very different specialities and profiles will form interdisciplinary and intergenerational teams that will work on creating technological and/or non-technological solutions, services, new economic models, etc., solutions to respond to the challenge in any of the following categories: personal independence and independent living; sustainable, inclusive care; inclusion of the elderly in society, polypharmacy, assisted active learning, new business models (social enterprises).

This international hackathon presents so-called "innovation pills" as a novelty at this type of event, short 5-minute talks given by 11 international experts who will collaborate as mentors and coaches and who seek to serve as an inspiration to participants.

An international jury will evaluate the solutions developed during this competition, which will be presented to the public on Sunday, September 23 at 6:00 pm.

The winner of Hack4Elder advantAGE will be announced at the close of the AAL Forum on September 26.