New Delhi (NVI): More than 200 participants from 72 teams of students and start-ups form India and Australia provided waste reduction solutions at the science event, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said after the conclusion of India-Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, felicitated the participants of India Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) at a virtual award ceremony, the MEA said in a statement.
The idea of I-ACE Hackathon originated during the India-Australia Virtual Leaders’ Summit between the Prime Ministers of India and Australia held on June 4 last year, it added.
According to the MEA, I-ACE Hackathon was launched on October 16 last year and the initial round received over 1,000 registrations from India and Australia. The finals were held between February 9 and 11 where more than 200 participants in 39 teams from India and 33 teams from Australia took part, the MEA said.
They attended five masterclass sessions, three dedicated mentoring sessions and three presentation/ jury evaluation sessions during the intense final round, the statement said, adding that “Two university teams and two start-up or MSMEs from India and Australia were declared as winners for each of the four themes.”
Moreover, the I-ACE Hackathon addressed 4 themes which were innovation in packaging – reducing packaging waste, innovation in food supply chains – avoiding waste, creating opportunities for plastics waste reduction and recycling critical energy metals and e-waste
MEA also informed that the Hackathon was organized jointly by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, India and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia.
The aim of I-ACE Hackathon is to enable students and start-ups or MSMEs from both countries to present innovative solutions for the development of a circular economy across the food system value chain.
Further, the winners of Hackathon will be supported by the innovation and incubation ecosystems of both Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and CSIRO Australia to enable them develop their solutions into products.
Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology of Australia and Prof K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India also participated at the event, the MEA statement added.
-RJV
