The German Federal Government and the Digital Council supported 7 organisations to conduct the WirVsVirus Hackathon in March 2020, and this resulted in 1500 tangible solutions in only 48 hours! Similarly, UNLEASH, the Global Innovations Lab for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, also organised the UNLEASH4Covid Hack which brought together participants from 70 countries across 6 time zones. Solutions concerning social distancing, mental health, migrant shelters, e-learning and many more were created.
These Hackathons provide a great opportunity by bringing people together in times of adversity. We should keep the momentum going even when the threat from COVID19 is over, in our endeavour to reach the SDGs and achieve the 2030 Agenda!