Dubai - MENA Herald: A blitzkrieg of ideas and innovative prototypes that showcased digital technology at its best in an adrenaline-charged atmosphere marked the first Accenture Digital Hackathon that simultaneously took place in seven cities across Europe and the Middle East on November 27 (Sunday).
Held in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai, and locally in partnership with Etisalat Digital, the hackathon ran at Rome, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Dortmund, Prague, Istanbul and Dubai. Tech-geeks and enthusiasts were invited to present prototype ideas, products and services that are able to create social and economic value for the community by hacking everyday objects. The expert panel of judges – all members of the Accenture senior management and renowned personalities from the world of hi-tech and innovation - evaluated the submissions based on the most creative and innovative use of digital technology to benefit people and the environment.
The Dubai team that won third spot facing fierce competition from seven other teams comprised energy expert Charles Blaschke, design genius Sarah Hamawi, programming wizard Ali Obeid and branding and marketing expert Vivek Mehta. Passionate about giving back to the nation and the world at large, their ‘big idea’ was TAQAS - an innovative solution to help individuals reduce their energy consumption and utility bills at home.
Using gamification and sharing, the tool compares members of a specific community to its peers globally to assess their performance and determine their environmental impact. Through leveraging this tool, individuals will not only save money, but do their part in creating a truly sustainable and connected digital future. As part of its winning submission, the team built a completely functional android app embedded with code comments and open source libraries.
Speaking on the success of the event, Tony Karam, Managing Director of Accenture Digital in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “The whole world is witness to the UAE’s strong track record in innovation. It is through adopting ground-breaking approaches in every day matters that the nation has transformed itself into the dynamic and technology-evolved hub that we live and work in today. Accenture is keen to play a significant role in inspiring the youth to share their creativity with a wider audience.”
