In accordance with Goal 30:30, aiming to boost the nation’s digital economy value to 30% and secure Thailand’s digital competitiveness within the top 30 globally, proactive endeavours are underway to promote technology implementation and adoption for improving local communities and an enhanced quality of life.
In line with this, in a collaborative effort, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) joined forces with the National Innovation Agency (NIA), the Public Policy Institute of Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai City Municipality, Suan Dok Medical Innovation District (SMID), Area Development Capital Management and Management Unit (ESA) and a media company to organise an expansive Pitching Day event.
As an agency committed to bolstering the nation’s competitiveness and fostering trust in electronic transactions within a secure and stable ecosystem, ETDA is actively engaged in accelerating the national strategy. Their efforts aim to address these concerns, ensuring the well-being of residents and visitors while propelling the region towards sustained growth and development.
The Director of ETDA disclosed that Chiang Mai holds significance as a prominent tourist destination, serving as a crucial driver of economic growth within the region and the country as a whole. However, despite its allure, Chiang Mai faces certain health-related challenges, particularly in terms of cleanliness in public spaces and health facilities, including issues such as dust, smoke and the presence of chemical residues in food.
With the aim of addressing challenges and enhancing the well-being of both residents and visitors in Chiang Mai, an opportunity is being provided for service providers and new developers to collaboratively create and develop innovative solutions. The ultimate goal is to foster development not only in Chiang Mai but also in other regions by encouraging the generation of innovative solutions that effectively address specific problems and cater to the unique needs of each respective area.
ETDA has launched this Hackathon as part of these ambitions and aims to generate the most exceptional innovations, solutions, systems, or applications that could elevate the lives of the people residing in Chiang Mai. This innovative mechanism goes beyond searching for new ideas, solutions, systems, or applications. It serves as a platform to actively promote and support the application of technology that can bring about positive transformations in people’s daily lives, fostering well-being, encouraging innovation, and building thriving cities.
In February 2023, the Hack for GOOD activity commenced, attracting 90 initial team applications, from which the final 15 teams were chosen for participation. These teams engaged in workshop activities to enhance their skills, refine their ideas, and develop innovative solutions through collaboration with a diverse range of experts from the public and private sectors. Ultimately, among the 15 finalists, the team with their groundbreaking migraine application emerged victorious.
As first-place winners, they were awarded a prize of Baht 400,000 (USD 11,800) and offered the opportunity to further develop their innovative ideas at the roomNSP Rice Grain Auditorium, situated within the Science and Technology Park of Chiang Mai University (CMU STeP). Additionally, they will get to participate in the country-level Techsauce Global Summit 2023, scheduled to take place in the third quarter of this year. This summit serves as a high-profile platform for showcasing groundbreaking ideas and connecting with industry leaders and innovators from around the world.
Furthermore, five victorious teams will be granted credits from an international cloud provider as part of their reward, enabling them to leverage the power of the company’s services in their projects. They will also have a chance to test their innovations with local audiences and receive ongoing support from various ETDA partners.
