Mastercard challenges Australia’s best developers and entrepreneurs to smarten up cities
Sydney, September 20, 2016 – Mastercard and the 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have teamed up to present the ITS 2016 Mastercard Smart Cities Hackathon Powered by AngelHack, on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October.
Featuring $20,000 in prizes, the Mastercard Smart City Hackathon will bring together some of Australia’s most talented developers, designers and entrepreneurs to create a new wave of smart city services and solutions.
With more than half the world’s population currently living in cities and rising visitor numbers, transportation services in urban areas are facing significant challenges such as overcrowding, congestion, demand management, and service availability. Entrants in the ITS 2016 Mastercard Smart City Hackathon will be asked to consider one question; how can we match the data being collected with the transportation being used in order to improve consumer experience, reduce congestion and make navigation seamless for both individuals and goods?
The Melbourne event will feature API’s and support from organisations at the heart of Urban Services, including Mastercard, ITS Australia, City of Melbourne, VicRoads, Intelematics, Data.Vic, Public Transport Victoria, RMIT and RACV.
Alan Fedda, Acting Chief Executive of Public Transport Victoria, a major sponsor of the ITS World Congress, said:
“Welcoming the transport world to Melbourne for the 2016 Mastercard Smart Cities Hackathon is an honour for Public Transport Victoria. As an organisation committed to finding continuous improvement and innovation in customer experiences for Victorians and visitors, we are excited this important event is coming to our vibrant city. We look forward to witnessing all the action that Mastercard and the developer community are bringing to Melbourne in October.”
Doug Howe, Mastercard Vice President – Travel and Transit Development said:
“As a technology leader, Mastercard is committed to being a driving force to help cities become more resilient, more sustainable and more inclusive through digital payments. To do this, it takes collaboration between partners across industries to unlock the full potential of today’s technologies and to realise the vision of cities that are better serving their citizens. We are delighted to be partnering with organisations that share our vision, and are excited to see what innovative solutions are brought to the table by some of Australia’s best thinkers.”
ITS Australia CEO Susan Harris said the inclusion of a Hackathon in the 2016 ITS World Congress is a reflection of the disruptive nature of ITS:
“Increasingly, established organisations’ are turning to new disruptive technologies in order to remain relevant and overcome the challenges they face. The addition of a hackathon to the ITS World Congress is a logical step forward and one which will demonstrate how big open data and collaboration can address real world issues and create opportunities.”
Featuring an esteemed judging panel the ITS 2016 Mastercard Smart City Hackathon will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, just ahead of the ITS World congress.
Attendees must choose one of three challenges: Demand Management, Green, and Future City. Six finalists will then be chosen to present their ideas on the main stage. The judges will deliberate and choose four winners, including the winners of the three individual challenges and an ultimate Grand Prize Winner.
For more information about the ITS 2016 Mastercard Smart Cities Hackathon, including rules, judging criteria, prizes, etc., please visit www.MastercardITShack.com
About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.Mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardAU, @MastercardAP and @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About Mastercard Smart Cities
As a technology leader, Mastercard is committed to being a driving force in the private sector to make cities better and to make better cities. Through our unrivalled network, we are able to tailor solutions and modernise infrastructure. We have the experience, insights, advanced technologies, strategic partnerships and global scale to make cities smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive.
About ITS Australia
ITS Australia will host the 23rd ITS World Congress in Melbourne from 10 to 14 October, 2016. In recognition of Melbourne’s reputation as the world’s most liveable city, the 2016 Congress theme will be “ITS – Enhancing Liveable Cities and Communities”. The Congress will bring together 7,000 global ITS professionals for a comprehensive program with hundreds of speakers, an exhibition, equipment demonstrations and technical tours. ITS Australia organised the successful 2001 ITS World Congress in Sydney.
Visit: www.itsworldcongress2016.com
Media Contacts
Heather-Ann Cody, Weber Shandwick, hcody@webershandwick.com
Linda Kastanias, Weber Shandwick, lkastanias@webershandwick.com
