10 innovative coronavirus solutions created during online hackathons
Summary
What’s wonderful is the cross-border collaboration seen between remote participants, each bringing their experience to the table and working together ‘virtually’ to offer solutions to the only pandemic many of us in Europe have seen in our lifetimes. Below we’ve featured concepts which have signs that they are realistically being developed by existing startups, or are in the process of becoming the sole focus of newly formed European teams. Colviery’s platform brings together ‘helpers’ who can aid their fellow citizens with things like buying basic food, going to the drugstore and picking up over-the-counter medication. Having taken part in Norway’s hackathon, they came up with an idea to support small businesses by allowing customers to buy vouchers for use after the pandemic, as gifts for their family and friends. Since its creation, it’s been snapped up by the government of Estonia and has been installed on many websites of theirs to attend to the public’s questions, planning to stick around long after the pandemic as a permanent fixture.