DKV and MWCapital join forces in order to find new technological environmental solutions with “Hack The Planet”

• The “Hack the Planet” hackathon starting today will finish on February 27th. Dr. Maria Neira from the World Health Organization will be delivering the inaugural online talk.
• “Hack the Planet” is a 5G innovation event held by DKV and organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona in collaboration with Garage Stories.
• This initiative aims to explore the potential of smart grids and new technologies for environmental action and planetary health.

14 February, 2022

The “Hack The Planet” 5G innovation event driven by DKV and organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) and Garage Stories, was presented this morning at the DKV Innolab, in the Barcelona Health Hub of the modernist Sant Pau Hospital. 

“Hack The Planet” aims to explore the potential of smart grids and new technologies for environmental action in order to improve human and planetary health. Participants from all over the world will work on the challenge “How can we improve human health by taking better care of the planet?”.

Eva Rosell, CEO of Barcelona Health Hub, emphasized that “finding ideas together can only improve health and the planet where we live. In Barcelona Health Hub we are happy to encourage such an important event and even more so when it takes place in our house and that of our partner DKV.”

DKV head of the environmental transformation unit Marta Pahissa outlined that “this hackathon is an international call in order to find collaborative ideas to improve human health while improving the health of our ecosystems through new technologies and data”. 

MWCapital Smart Connectivity program’s CIO Eduard Martín explained that “MWCapital is committed to the development and use of technology and smart connectivity in a sustainable way, thus contributing to solving major environmental and health challenges. Through this hackathon, we can inspire and bring together people from different sectors and one goal”.

“Hack The Planet” wants to bring creatives and technologists from around the world together in the development of innovative projects that can help people move from environmental awareness to action. A purpose very much aligned with the philosophy of DKV, a health activist company that strives for a healthier world, and is a leader in contributing to reducing the impact of climate change on people’s and the planet’s health. 

Experts from around the world will offer online masterclasses on environmental action, planetary health, storytelling, design, behavioral science, etc to inspire and prepare participants for the hackathon.

Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health of the World Health Organization will deliver the first inaugural talk today at 6 p.m. 

Dr. Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, epidemiologist of ISGlobal and international expert on environmental exposures, Khahlil Louisy, president of the Institute of Technology and Global Health and Dr. Lora E. Fleming, director of the European Center for Environment and Human Health are some of the
speakers.
From February 25th to 27th the creation lab will take place. Participants will work on their idea remotely, assisted by experts on environmental activists who will deliver sessions on design, prototyping, storytelling and business modeling. Local and international mentors will also be available for online assistance. 

DKV’s strategy against climate change 

In 2020 DKV published “Planet Health“, the company’s strategy to help curb climate change by 2030. DKV is committed to becoming the first climate-positive insurer in the country, to offset all the emissions generated by the company since its foundation and planting 1 million trees by 2030.

DKV has been fighting climate change for more than 15 years: it began measuring its carbon emissions and taking mitigation measures in 2004. In addition, the DKV Health and Environment Observatory has published 13 papers and DKV has trained 397 children in the Plant for the Planet academies and planted more than 50,000 trees since 2013.

MWCapital’s bet on the hackathon format

MWCapital has previously organized other hackathons in the field of health and mobility. “Hack the Hospital”, held in collaboration with Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Boston Children Hospital and Garage Stories was one of them, focusing on 5G and extended reality to reduce the negative impact of long hospitalizations of adolescents. 

The 5G Smart Railway hackathon aimed to find innovative 5G-based ideas to improve rail transport. It consisted of two different stages: a program to technically prepare the teams on subjects related to Smart mobility and the hackathon itself where participants interacted in order to come up with ideas that could turn into pilot projects that would improve the railway field.

About Garage Stories

Garage Stories is an audiovisual innovation lab for technology where creatives from different fields come together to explore and co-create immersive and interactive experiences. They aim to ensure that content quality matches the development of technology.

About Mobile World Capital Barcelona

Mobile World Capital Barcelona is an initiative that drives the digital development of society and helps improve people’s lives on a global scale.

With public and private support, MWCapital focuses its activity in four areas: accelerating innovation through digital entrepreneurship; transforming the industry through digital technology; growing digital talent among new generations and professionals; and reflecting on the impact of technology on our society. Together, our programs are positively transforming the economy, education and society.

MWCapital hosts MWC in Barcelona and is the founder of 4 Years From Now (4YFN), the business platform for the startup community present at all MWC events worldwide.

Health activists

“Health Activists” is a new brand launched by DKV in March 2020 which appeals to society to become directly involved in causes such as care for the environment, the inclusion of people with disabilities, healthy eating, the fight against childhood obesity and women’s wellbeing. 

DKV believes that the need for economic benefits, via quality products and services, can go hand in hand with the search for social and environmental benefits.