Vodafone Institute supports #EUvsVIRUS hackathon

Vodafone Institute supports #EUvsVIRUS hackathon

The Vodafone Institute and the Vodafone Germany Foundation will fund the awards of the EU Commissions #EUvsVIRUS hackathon in the challenges Efficient Team Work and Fake News.

The Vodafone Institute and the Vodafone Germany Foundation will support the Pan-European #EUvsVirus hackathons this weekend. #EUvsVIRUS is a joint event of the European Commission and EU member states, inspired by the German #WirVsVirus predecessor. It offers an opportunity for international participants to collectively develop prototypes and solutions for technical, political and social issues facing the coronavirus pandemic. Six challenge categories are ranging from Health & Life to Remote Working & Education and Digital Finance. From the 24-26 April 2020, participants will build solutions within the challenge areas via online platforms.

From #WirVsVirus to #EUvsVIRUS

The Vodafone Institute will be providing financial support for the challenge Business Continuity: Efficient Team Work with a focus on pressing issues facing the coronavirus for both SMEs and corporations, such as remote work. The Vodafone Germany Foundation further supports the challenge Social & Political Cohesion: Mitigating Fake News, which is a pressing issue for the entire EU in times of COVID-19 and an area of concern for the Foundations work in Germany. Furthermore, the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communications is also funding partner of the German #WirVsVirus Hackathons implementation programme by the social accelerator platform Project Together, where it supports the innovative solutions to pandemic problems with startup know-how and digital expertise.

Inger Paus, Managing Director of the Vodafone Institute, praises the international initiative,

“The #EUvsVirus hackathon embodies the cooperative spirit of Europe. When we face tough times, we come together, we work together, and we will beat this virus together – for everyone. The Vodafone Institute and the Vodafone Germany Foundation were grateful for the opportunity to support the collaboration of forward-thinkers and visionaries. This public expression of EU solidarity, that has demonstrated our unity exceeds borders in the fight against the coronavirus, will echo for some time.”

The #EUvsVIRUS hackathons virtual award ceremony will take place Thursday 11 am, 30 April. Find further information, on the Pan-European Hackathons website here.

About the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communications

The Vodafone Institute is Vodafone’s European think tank. We analyse the potential and responsible use of digital technologies for innovation, growth and sustainable social impact. Through research and events, we provide thought leadership and offer a platform for dialogue between business academia and politics. We are committed to improving access to technology for all parts of society. To achieve this aim, we develop and support projects to empower women in the digital economy, such as the social tech accelerator ‘F LANE’. The Vodafone Institute sees itself as an interdisciplinary platform and benefits from the expertise of its international advisory board.