b'26 Member News March 2023VolunteersGlobal Hackathon tackles dirty data challengeOur first-ever global Hackathon saw young professionals On 12 November both around the world developing innovative solutions toteams stepped onto the stage at the IET Young help manage and reduce data-driven carbon emissions. Professionals Summit celebratory event in The Hackathon Challenge 2022 was created and deliveredLondon to receive their Competition framework by our Young Professionals Committee (YPC), supported by2,000 prize.volunteers from around the globe as well as staff members. Value proposition A unique, collaborative learningThe competition enabled young professionals to develop and and development opportunitytest their technical skills. Importantly, it also shone a light with a chance of winning an all- on the urgent need to drive down the rapidly accelerating expenses-paid trip to Londoncarbon emissions generated by the internet, web-enabled and a prize of 2,000 technology and the huge data centres supporting it.ChallengeHuge responseTo generate an innovative and novel solution for reducingRob Allison, Technical Networks carbon emissions generatedRepresentative on the YPC, was by data usagethe Volunteer Project Lead for Competition streamsthe Hackathon. In all, 86 teamsRob said: Infrastructure and Softwaresigned up for the competitionthis was around three times T eamsmore than the anticipated Up to six people, collaboratingresponse, so the project teamI would like to in person or virtually tohad to work fast to upscale theRob presenting the Hackathonthank every single develop a solution competition logistics.winners at the YP Summit entrant, volunteer Phase 1 (skills development)Thankfully IET volunteers from around the world stepped inand staff member to help, including 4 UK-based engineers to host a live Q&A Four training videos session during the event; 15 volunteers located in differentfor contributing time zones, ready to answer any queries that might arisetheir time,Phase 2 (24-hour during the Hackathon; and 24 judges on standby. Hackathon Challenge)energy, ideas and Each team to develop a solution,Impressive solutions commitment to explain it in a 10-minute video and write a two-page reportThe live Hackathon Challenge began on 24 September 2022this competition.expanding on the video content at 09:00 (British Summer Time). By the end of the 24-hourIt turned out to period, 12 teams had succeeded in completing the challenge.be a tremendously Judging criteriaThe judges were hugely impressed by the quality, ingenuity Innovation; technicaland diversity of all 12 entries. The two winners (seeexciting event that complexity (explained simply);opposite) stood out because they delivered confident, clearwe hope to repeat!impact on sustainability; andand entertaining video presentations that evidenced their commercial feasibility collaborative approach, said Rob, who was a member of the judging panel. Read more at: theiet.org/meet-our-volunteers'