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The General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector (TRA) announced details of the third edition of UAE Hackathon (Data for Happiness and Quality of Life) organized by the TRA in collaboration with the National Program for Happiness & Wellbeing as part of UAE Innovation Month across the emirates. UAE Hackathon kicks off next week and will continue for four weeks in the seven emirates. Results and winners are to be announced in early March.
This statement came during a press conference on the event held by the TRA, in the presence of representatives of government entities, universities and private entities participating in this major hands-on event.
In his speech delivered at the opening of the press conference, H.E. Salem Al Hosani, Acting Deputy Director General of the Information and Smart Government Sector, said: "Today we race against time not only for keeping pace with the technological rise witnessed by the world, but also for actively participating in this rise by providing solutions and innovations that contribute to spreading happiness and well-being in our society and all over the world. We have made strides in previous years moving us from being importers of technologies to innovators and exporters of such technologies, and we are keen to continue this approach in line with the guidance of our wise leadership, thus contributing to the achievement of UAE’s visions and future goals."
Mr. Al Hosani emphasized that the Hackathon in its third edition is a continuation of what has been accomplished in the past two editions. He added: “We in this edition do not repeat ourselves, we do not reintroduce what we have already presented, but rather complete it. In this session we present new challenges in line with the rapid changes taking place in the world, and in accordance with the forward-looking vision set by our wise leadership towards the next 50 years. In this year's Hackathon, we are looking for solutions that are robust and scalable, as well as solutions that make hosting Expo 2020 by the UAE an unforgettable event."
In its third edition, UAE Hackathon aims to contribute to enhancing competencies, disseminating knowledge and innovation, and shaping the data future. The Hackathon also creates a multi-lateral partnership between the government sector, national programs, universities, private sector, individuals, Expo 2020, and several international organizations.
The current edition of UAE Hackathon will support Expo 2020, by launching an Expo 2020 challenge aimed at gathering innovative and inspiring ideas. The Hackathon also supports the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), as it encourages all Hackathon participants to take part in the WSIS and sets a special challenge for it, thereby attracting contenders and preparing them to participate in the WSIS.
In this edition, the Digital Innovation Center of the TRA will provide participants with training courses through the online training platform, and will qualify winners through the platform by turning ideas into projects. Additionally, the TRA will endeavour to attract final candidates and winners, and provide the necessary support for them to work on, develop and turn their ideas into existing projects.
The Hackathon, in its current session, includes ten pillars or themes, namely: happiness and well-being, Expo 2020, smart and sustainable cities, environment and climate change, world-class health system, space investments, sustainability and infrastructure integration, high-level education system, safety and security, and digital transformation.
In the previous two sessions, the UAE Hackathon had achieved impressive results, receiving 3183 contestants across 414 teams with 161 inspiring ideas based on 1412 datasets provided by the participating entities. To add, more than 680 volunteers, 144 mentors/trainers, and 41 partners participated in the previous two sessions, who played a major role in the success of the activities of the Hackathon.
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