Social Innovation Hackathon in Bamberg: Ascend Supplies the Wi-Fi

In Advent 2019, bytabo® GmbH and the Caritasverband für die Erzdiözese Bamberg e.V. invited people to the Social Innovation Hackathon. 50 young programmers, creatives and interested citizens were to solve five tasks that would make Bamberg an even better place to live. The solutions were to be created digitally, which called for a suitable Wi-Fi solution in the field of event IT.

These projects were worked on:

• Bamama: a web portal that gives mothers with a migration background the most important information about pregnancy and motherhood in Germany in simple words and pictures, for example about free check-ups that do not exist in other countries.
• Bambecher – less waste in Bamberg: new logistics and marketing strategies aiming to rid Bamberg of discarded coffee-to-go cups by 2023.
• Bambike – Bamberg Bike Sharing: free bicycles across Bamberg, repaired by AEO helpers, for more sustainability and less traffic.
• Gaia – Tinder dir Dein Ehrenamt: a portal that uses a short online questionnaire to match committed people with the right volunteer role.
• Josefslädchen and “Freund statt fremd”: two initiatives that are looking for volunteers and for digital ways to find helpful people.

Ascend provided the required Wi-Fi solution to the volunteers. The equipment included a mobile Peplink router, model HD4, with three SIM cards inserted and connected, plus attached cellular and Wi-Fi antennas. How we equip events with Wi-Fi is described on our page Wi-Fi rental for events.

“We are delighted with the successful event and the great support from ASCEND,” said Meike Gleiß of bytabo® GmbH. In the ten hours of the hackathon the projects could not be developed to market maturity, but the final presentations showed great results. The winning group received a voucher for a digital detox weekend in Franconian Switzerland.

Johannes Fickeis, Managing Director of ASCEND GmbH: “Let us hope that the enthusiasm lasts beyond the night and that the great projects are completed.”

This article is based on Ascend's news release of January 2020 and was revised with AI assistance.