IBM, in partnership with the UN, Red Cross and with support from the Linux Foundation and Clark House, launched the program “Call for Code Global Initiative”, an ambitious effort to bring together startup, academic and corporate developers and inspire them to solve one of the most pressing social issues of our time: preventing, responding to and recovering from natural disasters. The topic is extremely relevant, especially after 2017 was classified as one of the worst years in the record of catastrophic events, such as fires, floods, earthquakes and storms.
During a speech at the VivaTech Conference in Paris, IBM President and CEO Ginni Rometty called on the technology industry to help build a better future and committed to investing IBM technology and US$ 30 million over five years in the annual Call for Code initiative. The goal is to bring together and encourage developers from around the world to use data, cloud, AI, blockchain, cloud and IoT technologies to solve societal challenges.
For example, developers can create an application that uses and cross-references weather data and drug stock information to issue an alert and recommend that pharmacies increase their stocks of antibiotics, insulin, bottled water, and vaccines based on predictable disruptions related to bad weather conditions. It could also be an app that predicts where and when the disaster will have a more severe impact so that emergency teams can be directed in greater numbers and in advance, in time to treat those most in need.
IBM's US$ 30 million investment over five years will fund developer access to tools, technologies and expert training. The winning team will receive a financial award of US$ 200,000 and the most rewarding: they will receive long-term support to turn their prototype idea into reality.
In addition to support in developing the solution, the winning team can join IBM Corporate Service Corps (CSC) to apply their idea in a community or region. IBM CSC teams are multidisciplinary and composed of experts who spend four to six weeks in needy communities around the world to apply technology to solve local problems.
Global Call for Code Initiative
IBM is a founding member of the Global Call for Code Initiative, created by David Clark, a renowned leader in initiatives related to great causes. David Clark's work unites iconic people and humanitarian organizations including President Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Prince, the United Nations, Amnesty International, the Anne Frank Center and more.
To raise awareness and interest in Call for Code, IBM is coordinating interactive educational events, hackathons and support for the developer community worldwide, in over 50 cities including São Paulo, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Berlin, Delhi. , Dubai, London, New York, San Francisco and Tel Aviv. Additional details and a complete schedule of in-person and virtual events are available at: http://www.developer.ibm.com/callforcode.
How to participate in Call for Code
• Projects can be submitted individually or in groups of a maximum of five people between June 18, 2018 and August 31, 2018.
• Thirty semi-finalists will be selected in September. A prominent jury, including some of the world's most iconic technologists, will choose the winning solution from the three finalists.
• The winner will be announced in October 2018 during a live-streamed awards event hosted by David Clark Cause.
* Subject to the local rules of each Country – according to the winner's location.
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