The European Commission has announced it is supporting the upcoming Global Hack, an online hackathon organised by the world’s tech community. The Hackathon is designed to rapidly develop much needed solutions in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Kai Isand, head organiser of the Global Hack, believes the event is the best example of a startup mindset and how to act quickly when facing a challenge.

“This is our call to hack the crisis – not only to brainstorm solutions to prevent and stop the spreading of a highly-infectious disease but to think about how our lives will be different after this. To discuss how it will change the way we move, build, learn and connect. To see new opportunities. To build the new normal. By now over 47 countries have organised their own local hackathons.

The next step for the global movement is to come together in a unified hackathon event where teams will create projects that have a strong international socio-economic impact and create the needed rapid change,”

she said.

The Global Hack aims to partner people from around the world with one another to exchange ideas and practices to develop creative and practical solutions that directly address specific COVID-19 challenges. Through bringing together world-class mentors and talented teams, solutions can be built for a better tomorrow. The Global Hack will showcase emerging solutions that can demonstrate how digital innovations can be leveraged to connect local neighborhoods and help people facing the greatest vulnerabilities.

The European Commission will provide up to €75 000 of support to the Global Hack project, from which €60 000 will be for prize money to the winning teams. The Commission will also provide input to the government related challenges to be hacked in the area of start-ups, small businesses and eHealth as well as coaching in bringing viable solutions where they are needed.

Experts in their fields, scientists, tech enthusiasts, business leaders, project managers, marketing experts, designers, and innovators are all invited to take part in The Global Hack, which will take place completely online between 9 and 12 April.

Anyone can assemble a team of 4-12 people who are dedicated to an idea. During the hackathon, participants will develop their best and brightest ideas to address the ongoing socio-economic crisis and to support recovery in the aftermath. Through the Slack community, anyone can post ideas for the feedback of other users, find partners and find the rules for the submission of challenges and register a team.