As institutions built on public service and the promotion of common good, governments should be some of the first to step up when it comes to innovation and disruptive solutions. This way, they become not only end-users of advanced technology but proponents and catalysts that pave the way for the co-creation of such innovations.
With the power of digitalisation, governments can streamline their efforts, help provide services faster and more efficiently, and be able to help out even the most remote communities. All these things are necessary if we are to address the evolving challenges of the future. Moreover, as problems become increasingly complex, we have to develop solutions that cater to issues of the past, present, and future. As such, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) in Malaysia is always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas, solutions, platforms, and scientific discovery that will benefit Malaysians.
Last year, the ministry doubled down on its efforts to promote technology and digitalisation as a bedrock for innovative solutions with the launch of MYHackathon 2020. Through Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle), MOSTI organised a nationwide series of hackathons in the past year, each one driven by a specific theme and its own set of problem statements. One of the best features of the MYHackathon 2020 is that they were designed specifically as a hybrid of online and offline events, allowing more participants to join, all while accommodating everyone’s safety and security during these precarious times.
As a culmination of this project, the MYHackathon Finale and Showcase 2020 is going live today, January 26, on their official page.
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Attended by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister YB Khairy Jamaluddin, this dynamic virtual event features keynote sessions, experts panel discussions, and short interviews as well as access to MYHackathon 2020 ecosystem including the winners, coaches, partners, and judges. As a bonus, there is an exclusive engagement session set up for the winners with YB Khairy for them to get first-hand information and updates on the technopreneurs and technology industry. Winners also have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a group of investors curated for the event.
The goal of MYHackathon 2020 is to bring together innovators, software engineers, subject matter experts, and concerned Malaysians, to co-create digital solutions that will help improve the government’s services as well as the delivery of those services. With this mission in mind, the project was able to co-create over 400 solutions, under the guidance of over 150 mentors and coaches, as judged by over 120 judges, yielding a total of 36 winners.
MYHackathon 2020 themes and challenges
The project started in October 2020 and was held virtually available nationwide in six different key locations around Malaysia, and provided six unique themes for the participants to help hack.
The first theme is called Prihatin Rakyat — a challenge that focuses on developing digital solutions that can provide immediate assistance to the needy, the challenged, the urban poor, and senior citizens. Rakyat Sihat Sejahtera, the second theme, focused on developing digital solutions that can enhance the service level of the public healthcare sector and to promote a culture of wellness. The third theme, Ilmu Pelita Hidup, centred on enhancing the education system and quality via digital medium/channels and enhancing capacity building and welfare for educators.
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Meanwhile, the other three themes, namely Bina Negara, Inovasi Asas Pembangunan, and Rakyat Produktif, each focused on developing digital solutions that seek to enhance infrastructure development programmes, driving economic growth, and improving national productivity respectively.
Each theme focuses on key sectors that collectively encompass various interest points of the larger Malaysian population. Solutions developed concerning these particular areas are expected to help improve the overall quality of life among Malaysians in the long-term.
Diverse solutions for diverse problems
Winners of the MYHackathon 2020 offer a range of solutions to different pressing problems faced by the community. The project was able to yield 36 winners spanning across multiple verticals and areas of digital innovation.
The winners of the KL roster include FortNynja, a company that provides a cradle-to-grave solution designed to accelerate the implementation of a nation-wide government identity platform, allowing different access levels for users accessing government digital citizen services. Meanwhile, winners from the other different Hackathon legs include BukuPINK from Deux Alpha Tech Sdn Bdh, the ultimate solution for antenatal and paediatric record tracking, CINTA (“Continuous Improvement in Teaching” App) from Pandai Education, an app that engages teachers with micro-lessons called capsules that provide daily CPD, and HAVVA, whose focus is on solving food security and food safety issues via urban farming using their technology.
These are only some of the brilliant co-created solutions that were yielded by the programme’s participating teams.
Witness the MYHackathon 2020 Finale & Showcase
Given all these amazing and innovative solutions, the team behind the project would like to open its doors to the public. With the MYHackthon 2020 Finale & Showcase going live today, January 26, audiences from around the world can tune in and witness some of the most exciting new technologies that are poised to serve as a springboard for Malaysia’s digital future.
With MOSTI and Cradle at the forefront of this project, the MYHackathon 2020 Finale & Showcase will feature the winners along with keynotes and panel talks on future technology and insights. Through this, audiences will be able to learn from some of the best and the brightest as they share key trends and insights on some of the most important topics of today.
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Some of the experts and industry leaders who are poised to share their thoughts and experiences on different matters include Dato Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir, KSU — Ministry of Science, Technology, & Innovation, Puan Rafiza Ghazali, Group CEO at Cradle Fund, Ashran Ghazi, CEO at Dattel, and Dr Roslan Bakri Zakaria, Co-founder and CEO of Random Collectives.
These are only a few of the topnotch speakers who will be gracing the stage to discuss key topics and trends concerning innovation and technology.
About Cradle
Cradle is Malaysia’s early stage start-up influencer, incorporated under the Ministry of Finance Malaysia (MOF) in 2003 with the mandate to fund potential and high-calibre tech start-ups through its Cradle Investment Programme (CIP).
Cradle is presently administered by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI). Cradle also runs the Coach & Grow Programme (CGP), a market-driven coaching programme that trains entrepreneurs and administers the Angel Tax Incentive programme which is designed to stimulate and encourage angel investments in support of the tech startup sector.
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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Cradle
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