The semi-final round of the 4th year of the innovation marathon Nakopni Prahu took place, in which an expert jury composed of experts, municipality employees and company representatives selected the 10 best teams. The advancing teams are now working on perfecting their prototypes, which they will present during the final round on May 26 in Radlická Cultural Sports Hall. The marathon is organized by the Prague City Hall and the city company Operátor ICT, a. s.
"We are eager to introduce innovations in the city and at the same time we want to have an overview of what innovations are being invented in the metropolis. That's why Prague has initiated the Nakopni Prahu competition for the fourth year. Thanks to the competition, we attract new talents, who are then able to find innovative solutions for the needs of our city. We evaluate the competition as very successful, the quality and relevance of the submitted projects is growing year by year. Over 80% of the projects, under certain conditions, I would have given the green light immediately, unfortunately we have only a limited number of places," said Daniel Mazur, Prague City Councillor responsible for ICT, innovation, science and research, at the beginning of the semi-finals. This year, a total of 47 teams entered the Innovation Marathon and 26 of them made it to the shortlist.
"At first I was a bit sceptical about the competition, but in the end I was very pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the projects and ideas. Out of the 26 projects, only 10 will advance today, but that doesn't mean that the remaining ones are bad and that you shouldn't get behind them. If you feel that your idea is what you love and you have found a passion for it, then definitely go for it," commented David Procházka, Chairman of the IT and Smart City Committee of the Prague City Council.
"This is the fourth time we have kick-started Prague with Nakopni Prahu and we will continue to do so. As an ICT Operátor, we are developing the Smart Cities agenda, urban innovation and technology, and the Nakopni Prahu marathon is one of the main sources of ideas and suggestions on what to do differently and better. At the same time, it is a place where we can meet communities that we do not normally work with," praised Petr Suška, Director of Smart City, Innovation and Project Management at Operátor ICT, who regularly participates in Nakopni Prahu as a mentor and judge.
10 finalists of Nakopni Prahu 2023 and their projects:
Beat Savior
The team wants to create a mobile app that notifies volunteers near a patient of a first aid emergency. This may help the ambulance service increase the likelihood of rescuing a patient with sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital.
Cogniprop EDU
CogniProp Edu is a web-based platform for students aged 11 to 19 that guides them through the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, data processing and digital twins. The goal is to improve the quality of education and prepare future generations for the digital age.
Databáze jídel (Food database)
The team has developed a website - a database of school canteen menus. The meals are rated and commented on by consumers. This gives feedback to the cooks and also provides information to other diners. The aim is to save cooks the work of preparing menus, increase the variety of meals and reduce food waste in school canteens.
Diplomkyproprahu.cz (Dissertationsforprague)
The aim of DiplomkyproPrahu.cz is to create an online portal where students who want to solve real problems in Prague, universities that can provide them with professional background and conditions, the city and city companies that solve these problems can meet in a structured way.
Dropp
The Dropp team collects used tennis balls from Prague tennis clubs, stores, then shreds them and finds another use for them. Last year they collected 150,000 tennis balls, which corresponds to approximately 9 tonnes of recycled material. Recycling tennis balls will reduce the volume of municipal waste and thus reduce the burden on the city's environment.
Leafy
The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the superfood microgreens. Growing your own microgreens solves many environmental problems, contributes to a cleaner environment and better health. The team has therefore developed an information portal and an environmental education, training and awareness system called Leafy EDU.
Muuv
A large number of Prague residents and visitors face various restrictions on their mobility. The aim of the project is to create a map of the city with a focus on barrier-free places (roads, shops, toilets) and low-floor public transport vehicles, which will be the basis for both a mobile application and third-party solutions, including the city. Users will have a comprehensive offer of services such as transport, SOS, etc.
PrahaBot
Prahabot is a conversational AI for city-building processes. The main benefit is to make the communication of urban planning goals more accessible, simple and efficient. Instead of having to study city strategy documents, dialogue will take place.
Přidej se, strhni to! (Join in, tear it down!)
According to a well-organised website with instructions, it will be possible to verify the legality of the advertising posters and billboards displayed and to achieve the removal of those illegally placed. The website will include video tutorials, downloadable sample documents and a directory of relevant authorities.
Waste digital
Waste Digital is developing a compact, battery-powered IoT sensor with an optical sensor using artificial intelligence that is able to assess and report through an app what is happening in the monitored area. By installing sensors on lampposts or road signs, the city will gain insight into the pollution of container sites, allowing it to effectively plan clean-ups, save money and improve the lives of Prague's citizens.
As part of the extra sub-challenges from partner organisations, two more teams were given the chance to advance to the finals, tackling the "Healthy and Clean Water for Prague" challenge from Prague Waterworks and Sewerage (PVK):
Čistá voda (Clean Water) - board game
A board game depicting the production, distribution and treatment of drinking water in Prague, including the subsequent treatment of wastewater. Players will learn about water treatment and purification in Prague in an interactive way.
Dispečink vodink (Water Dispatching) - computer game
In the computer game the player will control the PVK dispatching centre and during the game learn about the issues that PVK experts deal with on a daily basis. The benefit is to increase the awareness of Prague residents about the issue of clean drinking water.
The finals of the Prague Innovation Marathon will take place on May 26, 2023 at the Radlická Cultural Sports Hall. In the meantime, finalists can participate in workshops and consult projects with organizers and mentors from the city administration, universities, urban planning, as well as the commercial sector.
All about the project can be found on the website: https://www.nakopniprahu.cz/
