Ocean Industry Forum Oslofjord (OIFO), an industry association where Maritime Optima is a member, will carry out an extensive hackathon for students at two of its member institutions BI Norwegian Business School and OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University; students in economics, finance and marketing who meet students in robotics, AI and marine technology. This hackathon will take place during Oslo Innovation Week in September, together with partners and OIFO members Nor-Shipping (Nova Spektrum, formerly Norway Trade Fair), DNB (Ocean Industries), DNV (Venture), Kongsberg (Digital), BI (Centre for Ocean Business), OsloMet (Oslo Metropolitan University) and Maritime Optima AS, which is a startup itself.
The aim of the hackathon is to find innovative solutions to global challenges, and at the same time to acquire talent for one of our most important industries: the maritime industry. This is reflected in the title of the project: Student Innovation for the Ocean Industries.
"Student innovation for the ocean industry" is a project to increase innovation through interaction between business and knowledge environments, between entrepreneurs and investors. The project will also contribute to strengthened competence transfer and innovation across the ocean industry cluster in the Oslofjord region. Ocean Industry Forum Oslofjord is a significant part of this cluster, both OIFO itself and the Maritime Oslofjord Alliance, where OIFO collaborates with Oslo Shipowners’ Association and Shipping & Offshore Network. More about this alliance can be found here.
The hackathon seeks to include between 20-40 students, both Norwegian and international ones. The goal is to find solutions to concrete issues facing the industry, cf. The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association's Climate Strategy and other existing climate goals, both from the UN (SDG17) and the EU (Fit for 55), and issues within digitization and autonomy, which is a focus area in the government's Maritime Strategy.
The hackathon will be introduced with a lecture that presents the issues facing the industry and sets the framework for the process, i.e. the execution of the hackathon. Then, the specific, selected issues will be presented and student groups established, so that there is at least one group for each issue or challenge, registered by the companies and selected by the project management.
Students from the two universities are mixed in the groups. Each group will work intensively on selected themes and issues, together with a mentor from the participating companies.
We plan for the hackathon to last 48 hours. The venue is the top floor at the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.
The results will be presented to a jury of carefully selected representatives from the participating companies, who will have their proposed issues discussed and processed by the students.
A prize for the best team (or teams) will be awarded at Nor-Shipping in June 2023. Some selected student teams will be mentored between the hackathon and Nor-Shipping. Maritime Optima will appoint one of those mentors.
"Maritime Optima is an ocean tech startup which is always looking for talent and new and better solutions, both to defined and still unknown problems. Therefore, to us it was easy to say yes when the invitation to be among the partner companies came from OIFO" - says Kristin Omholt-Jensen, Founder and CEO of Maritime Optima AS.
The main essence of the term hackathon is to work together within a set time frame. Here the aim may be to create new products, tools or functions - or solutions. A hackathon can last for just one day (or night) or as long as a couple of days. The purpose is to work quickly, intensely and together. Although hackathons are common in the technology industry and have primarily been about developers, really any company or team can use hackathons for quick brainstorming or to create smart solutions to problems.
If you are a student and would like to take part in the hackathon, please register on our website and we will get back to you shortly.
