On January 25 and 26, 2021, the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises will host the "Berlin Water Hackathon 2021".  The Hackathon is part of the ide3a project initiated by our professors Andrea Cominola (Smart Water Networks) and Jochen Rabe (Urban Resilience and Digitalization).  

Among other things, the event is intended to draw attention to the sensitivity of Berlin's water balance as a result of climate change. While Berlin might not yet make international headlines as ‘a city on the verge of a water crisis’, the German capital – just like many others worldwide – is also predicted to face more and more water related challenges in the near future. Recent years’ extreme weather events have already shown us what’s at stake. 2017, for instance, recorded the heaviest rainfall event of the last 110 years, with about a quarter of the normal annual rainfall volume falling in only 18 hours. Increasingly frequent extreme rainfall events, summer droughts, and increased heat stress urge us to rethink the relationship between the city of Berlin and its urban water system. Understanding the complex interconnections between water and other critical infrastructures is key in this mission. With a diverse range of smart initiatives showing the way to futureproofing Berlin’s water infrastructure, there is still plenty of space for future development and a number of challenges awaiting to be resolved.

The ‘Berlin Water Hackathon 2021’ invites students and professionals from various disciplines to join forces and tackle some of these wicked water problems in a creative and collaborative manner. The online event will kick off with 3 days of lectures and workshops (20-22 January) introducing the state of the art and hands-on case studies from Berlin and beyond. The second part of the event will comprise a 2-day hackathon (25-26 January) supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises. The best team project will be awarded by a prestigious jury of experts!

Upon active participation in the event, completion of the hackathon presentations and submission of a short final report, students can gain 6 ECTS.

Registration

Only a limited number of spots are available for this event! Registration is closed.

More detailed agenda and hackathon themes will follow soon on the ide3a.net website!