Four hundred university students have gathered at the Digital Talent Hub in Barcelona's Nou Barris district this weekend for the city's first inter-university hackathon, INTERHACK BCN. They are working for 36 consecutive hours to create solutions for the climate emergency.
Students from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) form multidisciplinary teams. They aim to address specific climate challenges facing the city. The Barcelona Knowledge Alliance, a collaboration of these four universities, initiated the event. BIT Habitat and Barcelona Activa support the hackathon.
Students Tackle City's Climate Challenges
Nadia Quevedo, Commissioner for Economic Promotion, Commerce and Restaurants at Barcelona City Council, highlighted the event's importance. "Barcelona needs committed talent, capable of innovating and putting technology at the service of the common good," she stated. "This hackathon shows that the city's future builds on knowledge, collaboration, and young talent."
Vanesa Daza, Vice-Rector for Knowledge Transfer at UPF, welcomed participants. She spoke on behalf of the four universities. "The joint drive by Barcelona's public universities for an activity like this is a declaration of intent," Daza explained. "Universities do not want to stand aside when facing city challenges, such as the climate emergency. We support our students' talent working alongside companies and city institutions, leaving the classroom to test what they learn with real challenges and proving that university education has a direct role in building the city."
Industry Leaders Set Specific Tasks
Operating under the theme "BCN CLIMA: Solutions for a Resilient Barcelona," the event began on Saturday. Three challenges, proposed by collaborating companies, were presented to the student teams. Damm, a prominent brewery, tasked teams with generating ideas for creating smarter and more efficient logistics operations.
Pharmaceutical company Inibsa presented a challenge to develop a technological solution. This solution aims to boost the marketing of locally manufactured pharmaceutical products. It must adhere to European standards and incorporate sustainability criteria, such as water and energy saving measures.
Qualcomm, a global technology firm, challenged students to develop solutions for environmental issues. This involves reusing older machinery and integrating intelligence using the Edge Impulse platform. Throughout the event, students select one challenge. They then develop an innovative project with the capacity to solve the chosen problem.
Fostering Digital Talent in Nou Barris
Participants can also attend various workshops. Industry professionals lead these sessions, providing tools and methodologies applicable to their initiatives. The multidisciplinary teams include students from diverse fields, such as engineering, business, and humanities. Additionally, participants come from Barcelona Activa's IT Academy, 42 Barcelona, and XTalent Digital.
Teams will present their final projects in pitch sessions on Sunday afternoon. A jury will evaluate their ideas and innovative solutions. The event will conclude with an awards ceremony, celebrating the students' efforts and creativity. This hackathon highlights the Digital Talent Hub, located within the Nou Barris Technology Park. This facility is a strategic asset for digital training, innovation, and talent development in Barcelona.
Barcelona's Economic Roadmap and Digital Future
The Digital Talent Hub plays a key role in supporting the digital sector. The Barcelona City Council identified this sector as one of ten priority areas in the Barcelona Impulsa 2035 plan. This economic roadmap for the city aims to generate competitive businesses and quality employment until 2035. The hub concentrates a wide range of digital training programmes. These include the technological campus 42 Barcelona, in collaboration with Fundación Telefónica. It also hosts the XTalent Digital programme, supported by Fundación ONCE, and Barcelona Activa's Cibernàrium. Furthermore, its facilities include the Startuplab Nord, which accommodates twelve Deeptech companies, and the Digital Fabrication Ateneu. These initiatives collectively strengthen Barcelona's position as a hub for digital innovation and climate action.
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Originally published by Barcelona City Council Press Room. Read original article.
