Citizenship and the ICT sector respond massively to a call for innovative solutions to the social challenges of confinement

More than 100 teams participate in the Hakcovid, a hackathon organized by the Catalan Government and the i2CAT Foundation. Until April 12th, these teams will develop solutions based on web services or mobile apps to respond to the main challenges voted by the citizens.

In collaboration with the Catalan government, the i2CAT Foundation has launched Hackovid, an initiative to promote the participation of citizens and the ICT sector to identify and solve citizens’ needs during the confinement period.

During the weekend, Catalan citizens registered 176 social needs which received 1.665 votes that selected the most pressing challenges. Among the 20 most voted needs are:

• Reinforcement of proximity trade 
• Provision of food for families at risk
• Guaranteeing citizens’ rights 

To provide solutions to these challenges, a virtual hackathon started on Monday with more than 100 teams of developers and ICT professionals. Until April 12th, participants will develop solutions based on web services or mobile apps to solve the most voted needs.

The 5 solutions with the greatest social impact will receive an award to boost its implementation. Additionally, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, through the Digital Future Society, supports the initiative with a special prize of 5,000 euros for the best technological solution for groups at risk of social exclusion.