PCH International to run second Hardware Hackathon in Dublin

22 Oct 2014

Pharmalytics, the winning team from the recent Hardware Hackathon in September in Dublin

Product development and supply chain management services provider PCH International is to run a second Hardware Hackathon in Dublin that will take place just prior to the Web Summit.

The design and technology hackathon aims to encourage collaboration among industrial designers and the next generation of connected hardware and ‘internet of things’ (IoT) innovators.

The event – which takes place at Dublin City University (DCU)’s new Innovation Campus in Glasnevin, Dublin, from 1-3 November – will be held in partnership with NCAD, Airbnb, AIB, Design Partners, Each&Other, Intel and Nordic Semiconductor. Official media partners at the event will be Silicon Republic.

The hackathon follows hot on the heels of the first Hardware Hackathon in Dublin in September, in which 120 people split into 12 teams to successfully devise, create and demonstrate new hardware concepts and business models.

The weekend event will begin on Saturday, 1 November, with a number of open workshops open to the public for IoT/hardware equipment including Intel’s Galileo development board.

A screening of Maker: The Movie will take place to inspire participants and spur creativity. 

Bringing together passionate entrepreneurs

PCH International, DCU Innovation Campus and various event partners will provide each team with access to prototyping equipment, including Intel Galileo boards, Raspberry Pis, 3D printers, CNC machines, soldering irons, and other tools of the trade. Airbnb will provide the hackers with the comforts of home for the duration of the 36-hour hackathon.

Mark Hatch, CEO and co-founder at TechShop, will introduce the final pitching sessions, where participating teams will present their completed prototypes to a panel of judges that include representatives from DCU, NCAD and PCH International.

Teams will compete to win a €3,000 fund for the continuing development of the winning product, as well as consulting hours with event sponsors Each&Other to further perfect the winning product’s design, and three tickets to the upcoming Web Summit in Dublin.

“We are very pleased to partner again with DCU in this second Hardware Hackathon in Dublin,” said PCH International founder and CEO Liam Casey.

“The weekend is all about bringing together passionate entrepreneurs and giving them the support needed to go from idea to prototype. The hackathon is a great complement to the activities going on at Web Summit, which give Dublin a chance to shine on an international stage.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com