About the hackathon

CityVerve is the UK’s Internet of Things (IoT) smart cities demonstrator, taking place in Manchester. It brings together the brightest minds and pioneering uses of IoT technologies to redefine ‘smart’ in the context of a living, working city.

This event, the first in a series of Open Innovation hackathons, will focus on the creation of new solutions using IoT technologies and data that address Travel & Transport challenges—specifically, ways we can use technology to encourage citizens to adopt cycling and buses as modes of transportation and improve the experience for existing users.

We’re making resources and expertise available to help you shape your IoT and smart cities solutions in a collaborative approach that will help enable better outcomes for citizens, businesses and communities, as part of our aim to foster open innovation.

Schedule for the Weekend

Friday 2nd February: 18:00 - 22:00 – Challenge kick-off and networking

Agenda (updated)

Saturday 3rd February

09:00 - 09:30 Breakfast and coffee / tea

09:30 - 10:00 Day overview (over breakfast)

10:00 - 10:30 Technical Workshops / Lean Canvas workshop

10:30 - 12:00 Worktime

12:00 - 13:00 MVP 1: What's the big idea?

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

19:00 - 20:00 Dinner

20:00 - 21:00 MVP 2: Market Viability

22:00 - Bright Building closed

Sunday 4th February

08:00 - 11:00 Breakfast and coffee tea - wake & work

11:00 - 12:00 Workshop: Presentation Skills & Funding Templates

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

14:00 - 15:00 MVP 3: Does the code work

15:00 - 15:00 Hard stop

15:30 - 16:15 Project & Business Demonstrations

16:15 - 16:45 Judges review / Secondary awards

16:45 - 17:00 Grand Prize Presentation

17:00 - 18:00 Networking and drinks

CityVerve is delivered by a consortium of 20 partners from the public and private sectors, and is funded by Innovate UK.

This is event is delivered with support from Manchester Science Partnerships, Transport for Greater Manchester, and BT

Eligibility

What skills are we looking for?

Developers, designers, thinkers, business, legal, creatives, policymakers - whatever your skills, if you can apply them to a weekend with like-minded people solving problems, creating solutions and running with real-world opportunities to change the world, you are Hackathon gold. This event is also an ideal opportunity to expand your skillset, with workshops and industry mentors provided throughout.

Is there an age restriction?

Anyone over 18 can sign up.

Can I attend as a visitor rather than as a participant?

Yes - this is an open innovation event. If you would like to visit and see what goes on, please register for a visitor ticket when you sign up: https://goo.gl/2FkPoq

Requirements

The challenges for the weekend will be based around two main areas of focus—cycling and bus stops. We’re looking for solutions that will encourage and enable citizens to adopt cycling and buses as modes of transportation. The scope of these will include, for example:

Using bike journey data and infrastructure data to better understand user behaviour.
Identifying business opportunities from cycling data.
Creating an aggregated booking platform for different bike hire schemes.
Making bus stops innovative and interactive.
Improving the experience of using buses for existing users and encouraging more people to use them.

There will be voice activated kit from the Talkative Bus Stops use case to hack—with the potential to see your solution trialled at bus stops across Greater Manchester as part of CityVerve.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$0 in cash

How to enter

How do I sign up for this Hackathon?

What does it cost to enter and participate?

Entry and participation is free.

What about food and drink?

Complimentary (and tasty!) food and drink is provided throughout the event - please let us know when you sign up if you have any dietary requirements.

Where is the hackathon, and how do I get there?

Manchester Science Partnerships Bright Building, 5 Pencroft Way, Manchester M15 UK

Travel Options to Manchester Science Park: By tram: St Peters Square is the nearest tram stop, it is about a 25 minute walk from the venue, or a 10 minute taxi ride. By bus: the 85, 85A, 101, 102, 103 and 108 services all stop nearby the venue. By bike: bike racks are available. The Oxford Road Corridor provides dutch style cycle lanes. From Oxford Road, visitors should take Denmark Road, and then Pencroft Way. By train: Oxford Road train station is the closest train station, it is about a 25 minute walk from the venue or a 10 minute taxi ride.

Is it an overnight hack?

No. Access to the venue for hacking is 08:00 - 22:00.

Suggestions for local hotels:

Holiday Inn Express (2-4 Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5QA) - https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/gb/en/manchester/mchor/hoteldetail

EasyHotel (33 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF) - https://www.easyhotel.com/hotels/united-kingdom/manchester/101866

Principal Manchester (Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA) - https://www.phcompany.com/principal/manchester-hotel/

Ibis, Princess Street (Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DG) - http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-3143-ibis-manchester-centre-princess-street-new-ibis-rooms/index.shtml

Ibis, Portland Street (96 Portland St, Manchester M1 4GX) - http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-3142-ibis-manchester-centre-96-portland-street-new-ibis-rooms/index.shtml