Hackathon and tech event specialist Product Forge and technology recruiters Bright Purple have teamed up to host a hackathon that aims to empower and inspire public action for Climate Change.
Products for the Planet will take place over three days from 5th -7th November at The Melting Pot, Edinburgh, with teams set to have a blend of in-person and remote participants.
Inspired by the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the hybrid event will focus on “people power”, with teams tasked to develop digital innovations that educate, empower and inspire public action against some of the climate’s biggest challenges.
Participants with a range of skills and expertise are encouraged to play their part at the event, where they will form cross-functional teams with support from industry experts and mentors to develop real-world solutions to genuine climate problems.
Ahead of the hackathon, the organisers are hosting a free webinar on September 22nd as part of Climate Fringe Week, where guests find out more about the event. The webinar will also focus discussion around whether local hackathons could be an entryway to mobilise communities across the UK to play their part in tackling the myriad of climate challenges facing the nation.
Allan Lloyds, director of Product Forge said: “We believe hackathons can directly involve the public in the response to climate change, and we’re actually tasking our teams to develop solutions to further drive public engagement, whether by enabling consumers to make more informed decisions, or assessing whether organisations and governments are meeting their climate targets”.
Co-organiser Abby Scott at Bright Purple commented: “COP26 is set to be a pivotal time for the climate crisis, and COP themselves have expressed that public involvement, education and empowerment are central to the climate action process.
“Bright Purple wanted to find a way for our network to make their own impact at this time and as a business in the tech industry, what better way to do it than with a hackathon. We are delighted to be working with the experts at Product Forge to make this happen.”
Registration is now open for the event, with student tickets available, as well as free tickets to the live-stream presentations on Sunday evening for those who want to view the outcomes of the weekend.
Find out more and register here.