Goa hackathon to foster govt-startup collaboration

Panaji: The department of information & technology, electronics & communications wants startups and innovators from across India to come together for a hackathon that will identify and address challenges faced by govt departments. It wants govt departments and even local industries to work together to create real-world solutions.

Called the Goa Open Innovation Challenge, it will be a two-month programme that will be launched on March 28.

While the department has not specified the challenges that govt departments face, the potential areas are tourism, industries, law and order, agriculture and sustainable energy.

“Govt is counting on startups using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the internet of things to address local challenges across departments and industry,” said a govt official.

The initiative is aimed at fostering collaboration between govt departments, corporations, industries, and the startup ecosystem.

Startups will be invited to address real-world challenges identified by departments, said an official. Smart policing is one of the areas that is likely to be pursued.

The department hopes to create and nurture a problem-solving culture among startups and innovators who can then “tackle issues spanning governance, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and environment” for the state.

Through the Goa Hackathon, the department hopes to bridge the gap between bureaucratic challenges and technology solutions. Startups will be asked to collaborate with govt departments and industry leaders.