New Media News

Apps and sustainable energy

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:05

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and Telefónica have announced two challenges to uncover innovative ICT approaches to support the 2012 United Nations- (UN) declared ‘International Year for Sustainable Energy for All’.

The Green ICT Hackathon will take place on 28 and29 February during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, while the 2nd Green ICT Application Challenge is now open for the submission of Concept Papers until 13 April, 2012.

Says Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General, ITU: “Sustainable energy for all is crucial to the future of modern civilization. The ITU is committed to stimulating the creation of innovative ICT apps founded on new modes of thinking; ideas to effect the change needed to achieve a sustainable future.”

Alberto Andreu Pinillos, Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer at Telefónica: “The Green ICT Hackathon is part of the joint activities of Telefónica’s Global Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Office, Movistar Spain and Bluevia, Telefónica’s global developer platform. These initiatives have a double objective – first, to support developers with great ideas, and second, to foster green ICT applications for energy efficiency and sustainable development.”

A ‘hackathon’ is an application-development marathon where developers compete to create innovative apps within a defined timeframe. The Green ICT Hackathon will be an opportunity for developers from all over the world to compete in developing an ICT application with sustainable energy as its core.

After what seems certain to be a frenetic two days of competition, the winner and runner-up of the Green ICT Hackathon will be awarded cash prizes of USD 3,000 and USD 2,000 respectively. The awards will be made onsite during Mobile World Congress on 29 February, and are intended to fuel further development of the most promising apps.

Supported by ITU and Telefónica, the event also benefits from additional support from Nokia as part of its global strategy for sustainability worldwide.

The 2nd Green ICT Application Challenge invites innovative Concept Papers for ICT applications that support ‘sustainable energy for all’. As the global economy undergoes a necessary shift towards renewable energy sources and sustainable energy production, ICT is playing a key role in transforming energy distribution, with technologies such as smart grid, smart metering, smart billing and electro-mobility allowing people to exert more direct control over the volume of energy they consume.

ITU encourages entrants to submit Concept Papers that build on these exciting innovations, suggesting new ways in which users can improve their own energy efficiency.

The winning entry will receive a cash prize of USD 3,000 at an award ceremony to take place during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012.

For more information on the Green ICT Hackathon and the 2nd Green ICT Application Challenge, please consult:
www.itu.int/ITU-T/climatechange/greenict/201206/index.html

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