Ventspils

🚀Welcome to NASA Space Apps Challenge Ventspils 2020!🚀

Space Apps Challenge – it is 48 hours hackathon that unites space enthusiasts around the globe to solve challenges of Earth and space using free and open NASA data.

This year, the event will be 100% virtual, and will nevertheless give participants the opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds and talents to solve one of the challenges provided by NASA.

Community Slack workspace:
https://join.slack.com/t/spaceappsventspils/shared_invite/zt-ht5l3sva-cy6uZn3THAKxCv1vuERVHg

🌍What is the purpose of Space Apps?🌍

Space Apps, which started in 2012, has now become the largest global hackathon. While NASA provides awards to the top projects (see more below), Space Apps is all about collaboration! Our mission is focused on the following objectives:

- To inspire collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking

- To foster interest in Earth and Space science and exploration

- To raise awareness of NASA data around the world

- To encourage growth and diversity of the next generation of scientists, technologists, designers, engineers, artists, etc.

👋You are welcome to join if:👋

• You are curious and bright mind: students, graphic designers, developers, UX/UI designers, data analysts, entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists, innovators, technology experts, communicators, marketers, activists of humanitarian causes and all space enthusiasts.
• And/or you love data and you want to transform NASA’s open data sets into real-world applications
• And/or you are passionate about space and you want to join in building our future together for the benefit of humanity.
• And/or you love hardware. Yes! Hardware projects welcome - Space Apps is more than “apps”! Grab your favourite board and dream up a solution for Earth or your own mission in space.

🇱🇻 Why Ventspils? 🇱🇻

• Ventspils - The TOP 3 micro European city of the future (2020/2021) by FDI Intelligence which mission is: "Empower ICT founders & companies for rapid & sustainable growth in mindful & inspiring environment."
• Ventspils Municipality within UIA project "NextGen Microcities" together with main Ventspils IT ecosystem's stakeholders/drivers has developed a completely new IT Foreign Direct Investment strategy for the city with the title: "Tech Wonderland by The Sea". The city has set the top priority IT sub-categories to focus on and develop for the next years.
• The new FDI strategy includes SpaceTech as one of the top priorities for the city and NASA Space Apps Challenge 2020 is the message to the World and the very beginning of the new strategy's launch.
• Ventspils has a long history in being part of the Space research and solution development with Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre's infrastructure and it's researchers as the core and now is ready to take it to the next level by building a strong community around it.
• We are looking forward to gathering like-minded people together and work with the Global partner NASA to solve huge and maybe smaller problems which will lead us to a (even a little bit) better world and help us explore the mystique of the space.

🏅Challenges:🏅

Observe

Observation is critical to gathering the scientific and technical knowledge needed to take action. Space-based technologies, especially Earth-observing satellites, have given us a greater understanding of Earth and allowed us to probe into the depths of space. Challenges in this category will ask you to devise tools that make observation data more accessible for use by scientists, decision-makers, and the public.

Inform

To make good decisions, we all must be well informed. NASA, CSA, CNES, and JAXA not only gather space-based data, but they also compile archival data and share analysis and results with policymakers, scientists, and/or the broader community. This challenge category asks you to look at space agency data with fresh eyes. Come up with effective ways of engaging others with scientific and historical information.

Sustain

Advances in space exploration and Earth science have revealed the importance of building a sustainable future. What actions can we take to sustain our home planet, so that it is livable for future generations? And how can we sustain human life in the harsh conditions of space?

Create

Creation lies at the heart of change. Whether it’s artwork, hardware, or a new technology, challenges in this category will ask you to imagine, build, and create awareness.

Confront

From natural disasters to social and economic inequality, there comes a time when we must confront the problems we detect. Pick a challenge in this category to tackle a variety of issues at local, national, and/or global levels. How can technology serve as a tool for change?

Connect

Connection empowers us to take action together. Challenges in this category will ask you to examine methods for communicating with one another and to analyze the complex networks of people and ideas that contribute to space agency missions on Earth and in space.

Invent Your Own Challenge

Pose your own challenge, and create a solution of your own choosing! Reminder: Solutions in this category are wonderful, but they are not eligible for global judging or awards from NASA.

Local Mentors:

• Aivars Lipenitis - Tech internationalization specialist
• Artis Daugins - Entrepreneur (Electric mobility)
• Ģirts Smelters - Deep tech commercialization expert
• Gunita Kulikovky - Entrepreneur (VR/AR)
• Kirill Vasiliskov - Developer with MSc in Astronomy
• Kristaps Banga - Accenture Latvia Innovation Lead
• Linda Gulbe - Ventspils International Radio and Astronomy Center researcher
• Mārīte Aleksandra Silava - Innovation and Collaboration Lead at Swedbank Group
• Muhammad Haris - Accenture Developer Senior Analyst
• Ruslans Melniks - IX/UI expert
• Sergejs Zirkovs - EMERGN project manager / Product development expert
• Stanislavs Hilcuks - Accenture AI/Industry X.0 Lead
• Tolga Karadeniz - Accenture Developer Team Lead
• Ziming Wang - Accenture Intelligent Automation developer

Local Jury:

• Aleksejs Klokovs - Ventspils International Radio and Astronomy Center
• Ilze Valdmane - Ventspils Hight Technology Park
• Laura Codere - Ventspils Municipality
• Liene Kataševska - Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
• Roberts Gaižutis - Ventspils Business Support Center
• Signe Kurpica - Ventspils Municipality
• Vairis Caune - Ventspils University of Applied Sciences

Event Partners:

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Main organizers and supporters:

VENTSPILS MUNICIPALITY within UIA project "NextGen Microcities of Europe" together with main Ventspils IT ecosystem's (and specifically SpaceTech) stakeholders/drivers:

VENTSPILS BUSINESS SUPPORT CENTER- a municipality's one-stop-shop information and business service organization for entrepreneurs who are interested in launching or expanding their business in Northern Europe's city of Ventspils. As well as works on the attraction & re-training programs of new specialists in Ventspils.

VENTSPILS UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES - is a national higher education and science institution. VUAS has three faculties: the Faculty of Economics and Management, the Faculty of Translation Studies, and the Faculty of Information Technology. Altogether, 14 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study programs are available.

VENTSPILS INTERNATIONAL RADIOASTRONOMY CENTER (VIRAC) - a science education center specializing in the implementation of high-quality future research services in the field of space technology and signal processing.

ACCENTURE LATVIA - A Fortune Global 500 professional IT services company with more than 490 000 consultants globally.

BASAFUL - the good cause student's owned digital service agency

Moderator:

Guntis Coders - Accenture Latvia, Kurzeme's region Lead

To REGISTER for Ventspils Space Apps Challenge 2020 -> click the REGISTER button😉 !