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Kampala INSPIRE Hackathon 2020

kampala_inspire_hackathon_2020

The Kampala INSPIRE Hackathon 2020 was a fully virtual event conducted from March to May 2020, adapting to the global circumstances of the time. Organized by Plan4all in collaboration with 18 international partners, the hackathon aimed to foster innovation in agriculture, environmental monitoring, and geospatial data utilization, with a particular focus on addressing challenges pertinent to Africa.

🎯 Objectives

  • Develop practical solutions for agriculture and food security challenges in Africa.

  • Enhance the use of open data, Earth Observation (EO), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

  • Strengthen collaboration between European and African stakeholders through Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs).

🧩 Challenges

The hackathon featured 10 distinct challenges, each targeting specific issues:

  1. Transportation and Urban Planning in Kampala: Exploring smart solutions for urban mobility.

  2. SmartAfriHub: Developing a DIH tailored for African agricultural needs.

  3. OpenLandUse for Africa: Creating open land use data models.

  4. Desert Locust: Developing early warning systems for locust outbreaks.

  5. IoT 4 Africa: Integrating sensor data for environmental monitoring.

  6. Climate Change Trends for Africa: Analysing climate data impacts.

  7. EO4FoodSecurity: Utilising EO data to enhance food security.

  8. Text Mining and Metadata: Improving data discoverability and metadata standards.

  9. Ethical and Legal Aspects of Open Data: Addressing data governance and farmers' rights.

  10. Interchangeable Map Compositions: Developing collaborative mapping tools.

🏆 Results

The hackathon concluded with a virtual event on 6th May 2020, where the top three challenges were recognised:

  • 1st Place: Challenge 4: Desert Locust – Developed a geospatial risk model for locust outbreaks.

  • 2nd Place: Challenge 2: SmartAfriHub – Enhanced the DIH platform for African agriculture.

  • 3rd Place: Challenge 6: Climate Change Trends for Africa – Analysed climate data trends affecting agriculture.

🧑‍🏫 Mentors

A diverse group of mentors from various institutions provided guidance, including:

  • Foteini Zampati (GODAN)

  • Stephen Kalyesubula (Makerere University)

  • Michal Kepka (BOSC)

  • Kizito Odhiambo (AgriRORA)

  • Paul Kasoma (VWB)

  • Tuula Löytty (Smart & Lean Hub Oy)

  • Joel Muhanguzi (Makerere University)

📡 Webinars

The hackathon featured several webinars to support participants, including:

  • Mobilising Capacity Development in Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers: Addressed bridging the digital divide.

  • Ethics and Legal Aspects of Open Data: Discussed data rights and governance.

🏢 Organisers and Supporters

The event was organised by Plan4all and supported by various projects and organisations, including:

  • GODAN

  • RCMRD

  • NextGEOSS

  • EUXDAT

  • AfriGEO

  • SmartAgriHubs

  • PoliRural

  • SIEUSOIL

  • EO4Agri

  • RDA Europe 4.0

  • PoliVisu

  • Demeter

  • Stargate