Annual “Climathon” Hackathon to Tackle Circular Economy and Green Mobility Challenges

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The Riga Technical University (RTU) Science and Innovation Center and the open innovation movement VEFRESH invite participants to join Climathon ’24: Circular Economy and Green Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Urban Environments, a hackathon running from November 1 to 3. The hackathon aims to promote and support the development of sustainable and climate-friendly solutions for urban areas.  

Everyone interested in environmental protection, achieving climate goals, and implementing sustainable, innovative solutions in cities is encouraged to participate, bringing diverse skills and expertise from across Latvia. Registration is open for both teams and individual idea generators until October 27.  

To foster creative and comprehensive solutions for sustainable urban development and address climate change challenges, this year’s Climathon, an annual initiative by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (EIT Climate-KIC), has been combined with the Urban Mobility Hackathon, supported by the EIT Urban Mobility knowledge community. As a result, this year’s hackathon will focus on two key challenge areas: circular economy and green mobility. 

To contribute positively to the transition toward sustainable mobility, the Rīga City Council will encourage participants to address urban mobility challenges, focusing on improving traffic flow and public transportation efficiency, sustainable use of natural resources, and engaging citizens in shifting habits toward sustainable urban mobility. 

Solutions developed at the hackathon will be presented to a panel of judges, with teams competing for valuable prizes to support the further development of their ideas. The total prize fund is €10,000. 

Climathon will take place at the RTU Science and Innovation Center  with remote participation options available. For more information, visit this website.  

The hackathon is organized by the RTU Science and Innovation Center and the open innovation movement VEFRESH in partnership with the Bank of Latvia, the Riga City Council, the Riga Energy Agency, Swedbank, and Riga Forests. The event is co-funded by the EIT Urban Mobility.  

Take part in the hackathon “The Big Four: from room to patient”

On 25 October, Riga 1st Hospital and Riga Stradins University (RSU) Innovation Centre will host a hackathon “The Big Four: from room to patient”. During the hackathon, participants will be invited to come up with practical and creative ideas for the use of four buildings on the territory of Riga 1st Hospital to promote the creation and development of new innovation-based services, using existing infrastructure and offering even more healthcare options to hospital visitors. All ideas generated during the event will also compete for valuable prizes from a total prize fund of more than EUR 600.

The challenge of the hackathon is to find a use for the four wings of Riga 1st Hospital, developing the range of hospital services and the patient experience. The different sizes, layouts and locations of the buildings on the hospital site offer a wide range of possibilities, so teams will be invited to develop ideas for one or more of the buildings, creating solutions for each building individually or as a whole. During the event, the hospital will provide detailed information about each site, the opportunity to see them, and a working environment to develop and present their solutions.

Students, innovators, healthcare professionals and other interested parties are invited to participate in the hackathon, regardless of their field of activity, field of study or previous experience. Each participant will be given the opportunity to join a team and receive support during the ideation process from mentors from different disciplines who will provide advice on healthcare, patient experience, digital technologies, service design and other related areas. During the hackathon, ideas will be developed in their early stages and judged on their innovation, effectiveness and impact, with a total prize fund of more than EUR 600 shared between the top teams. The ideas will be judged by a specially selected jury, including Riga 1st Hospital, Riga Stradiņš University, the Ministry of Health, Riga City Council and the Latvian Network of Patients’ Organisations. 

The “Big 4: From Room to Patient” hackathon will take place on 25 October from 8:00 to 18:00 at Riga 1st Hospital. Anyone interested is invited to register by 23 October HERE 

 

Rīga to Showcase Smart City Innovations at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2024 in Barcelona

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Rīga will participate in one of the largest international events in the field of smart cities—Smart City Expo World Congress 2024, taking place from November 5 to 7 in Barcelona. This prestigious event attracts city representatives, industry leaders, researchers, and innovators from around the globe.

This year Rīga will once again be part of the Nordics & the Baltics pavilion with a dedicated exhibition stand, highlighting the city’s ongoing smart city projects, initiatives, and opportunities for future collaboration. At the pavilion, cities and companies of the region will showcase how they are leveraging digital innovation to build sustainable and resilient urban environments. More information can be found here. 

In addition to the exhibition, Rīga will also be part of Tomorrow Mobility Congress, hosting a panel discussion “Urban Air Mobility by 5G Solutions: Accelerating Drone Services”. The discussion will take place on November 5 from 15.45 until 16.30 at Hall2, Tomorrow.Mobility Agora.

The panel will bring together international experts to share knowledge, use cases and best practices to accelerate drone services and urban air mobility using 5G solutions. Discussion will focus on enhancing 5G connectivity in urban spaces and highlight the importance of city roles and cross-border collaboration. The session aims to foster EU-wide innovation and regulatory harmonization, driving advancements in smart city technologies and sustainable urban development. 

The panel will be moderated by:

  • Viesturs Celminņš, Innovation Movement VEFRESH, Managing Director

Speakers of the panel:

  • Renske Martijnse-Hartikka, Forum Virium Helsinki, Senior Project Manager Smart Mobility
  • Arnis Gulbis, Riga Digital Agency, Director
  • Lorenzo Pessotto, City of Torino European Projects Unit, Project Manager
  • Guido Acchioni, European Commission, DG CONNECT, B5 Unit: Investment in High Capacity Networks, Policy Officer
  • Staņislavs Šeiko, Riga Municipal Police, Head of Strategic Planning

This panel will explore the future of urban air mobility and the integration of 5G technologies, demonstrating how cities can play a pivotal role in the development of innovative, smart transportation systems.

Attendees are encouraged to visit the Smart Rīga stand in the exhibition hall to learn more about the city’s initiatives. For those interested in a more in-depth discussion, meetings can be arranged in advance via our webiste.

For additional information about the Smart City Expo World Congress, visit the official event page here.

Rīga Takes Center Stage at the 7th Annual 5G Techritory Forum

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5G Techritory, the annual 5G forum for industry participants, decision-makers, and executives, will be held for the 7th time on October 30-31, 2024, in person and online. The 5G Techritory platform is an initiative to bring together the key players in 5G development with the goal of developing a robust and aligned 5G Ecosystem in Europe and beyond.

The 5G Techritory platform has established itself as an essential hub for collaboration, bringing together over 600 speakers and streamed to more than 2,000 registered participants worldwide. Industry leaders, including experts from telecoms, government, policymaking, and technology, will converge in Rīga to share insights and contribute to a series of co-creation events.

This year’s theme, “Technology Shaping Tomorrow’s Territory,” will feature discussions on the future of 5G technologies and their impact on society. Among the highlights is a special panel discussion on Urban Air Mobility and 5G Technology Enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drone Flights, to be held on October 31 from 14:30 – 15:30 on the Policy and Strategy Stage.

5G Systems and BVLOS Monitoring to Protect Lives and Public Health – 5G4LIVES

  • Introduction to the 5G4LIVES Project: An exploration of how 5G connectivity is being combined with cutting-edge technologies such as drone (UAV) monitoring and alternative hydrogen charging solutions.
  • Revolutionizing Emergency Response: How 5G-enabled real-time monitoring can transform emergency healthcare, providing faster, more accurate interventions to save lives.
  • Urban Air Mobility Legislation: The critical need for comprehensive legislative planning to safely integrate drones and air ambulances into city infrastructures.
  • Innovation Procurement: The role of innovation procurement in adopting 5G technologies that ensure public health and safety services are equipped with the best tools.

This session will highlight the importance of 5G in enhancing urban air mobility and emergency response systems, and its potential to bring new services to citizens in Rīga.

The session will be streamed live at live.5gtechritory.com. For more information about the event and to register, please visit 5gtechritory.com.

Smart Rīga Joins the Latvian Delegation to Berlin for the Smart Country Convention

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The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) is organizing a high-level working visit of the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, to Berlin from October 14 to 15, 2024. The visit will coincide with Latvia’s participation as the partner country in the prestigious “Smart Country Convention” (SCC), Germany’s leading event focused on public digitalization and smart city solutions, taking place from October 15 to 17, 2024.  

The main purpose of the visit is to promote economic cooperation in the ICT sector and establish contacts with representatives of German municipalities, cities, regions and federal government public administration institutions and public service providers, as well as companies in the sector. 

This year, Latvia is a partner country of the Smart Country Convention, which provides a unique opportunity for Latvian representatives to present themselves and their offer to a wide industry audience. 

The President of Latvia will open the exhibition with a keynote on October 15, and on October 16 the Rīga Vice Mayor Linda Ozola will give a keynote on smart city development in Rīga. 

On October 16, the city of Rīga will host 2 hour seminar  “Investing in Smart Riga: Unlocking Opportunities for a Digital and Sustainable Urban Future” in the networking area of  the main forum hall, named “Latvia Digital Lounge”. The discussion forum will focus on Rīga’s transformation into a leading regional smart city and how investors and innovators can play a pivotal role in shaping its future. 

Key topics to be covered:

  • digital infrastructure; 
  • testbed with dedicated pilot territories; 
  • successful smart city pilot projects; 
  • upcoming initiatives in sectors like mobility, energy efficiency and public safety; 
  • start-up ecosystem and support mechanisms for innovations and innovators. 

Panelists and audience will be encouraged to deep dive in novelties of Rīga`s smart solutions (e.g., centralised publishing platform of geospatial data GEO RĪGA), game – changing AI projects, 5G innovations and consider potential partnerships with the municipality and businesses.

Selling points include Riga’s strategic vision of data-driven urban development, EU-backed projects and a strong commitment to sustainability, innovation, and cybersecurity, making it a prime investment destination in Baltics. 

For more information, visit: https://www.smartcountry.berlin/en/concept/