On 26 and 27 November 2019, the world’s first hackathon of 5G policy makers took place in Riga. During it, recommendations were developed with a view to create legislation and a business environment in countries of the Baltic Sea region and in the European Union in general that promotes the introduction of new technologies provided by 5G.
“We need to be responsible for creating such a business environment and legislation at trans-border level that will allow to introduce innovation and increase our economic competitiveness globally. We cannot depend solely on innovation in the private sector, we must also think about innovation in the public sector. The hackathon of policy makers was a unique format that inspired and created a lot of new ideas for addressing specific future challenges related to the 5G technology,” emphasised Ralfs Nemiro, the Minister of Economics.
The technology area constantly sees rapid growth worldwide, and the deployment of 5G technology is one of such examples. In order to promote the global competitiveness of Latvia and the European Union, regulatory frameworks and the overall business environment are necessary, which are ready and favourable for the opportunities created by the innovation. It is necessary to create a business-friendly environment by facilitating the creation and deployment of innovation for undertakings and promoting the competitiveness and growth of the country and the Baltic Sea region.
In the two-day hackathon the leading European and Baltic policy makers, entrepreneurs, telecommunication industry opinion leaders and lawyers developed solutions for technological challenges, for example, how to regulate autonomous freight traffic, cross-border drone traffic, unmanned car accidents, smart city solutions, etc. The recommendations developed at the hackathon will also be collected and sent to the European Commission and the Nordic Council of Ministers in Latvia. Legislation is the most important development element in the area of technology, which can help improve the business environment not only in Latvia, but in the Baltic Sea region as a whole.
With the organisation of the first hackathon of policy makers, Latvia has become the initiator of innovative international cooperation in the use of 5G technology in innovative business and urban development A hackathon is an approach that is commonly used in the field of information technology, enabling to achieve within a few days a result, which, in the case of more traditional methods, would be obtained in at least a month.
The hackathon of 5G policy makers was part of the 5G Techritory Forum held in Riga on 28 and 29 November. During the 5G Techritory Forum, more than 80 industry representatives from around the world shared their experiences and discussed the areas, where 5G would bring significant changes – smart cities, mobility solutions, “Industry 4.0” and the upcoming digital transformation in industry, new opportunities with 5G technology in the media and entertainment fields.
See a photo from the event here.