Valencia Digital Summit (VDS2023) will serve as a catalyst for fostering an innovative culture within the university landscape and talent through The Challenge. This project is a joint effort between UPV and Startup Valencia, with the support of HP, the Valencia City Council, Valencia Activa and VLC Tech City, and made possible by Curiosibot. The primary aims of the initiative are to empower participants to develop their skills by engaging in hackathon-style challenges, and to give them the opportunity to develop and present innovative products and services that provide solutions to contemporary issues.

The competition welcomes both professionals and undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD students from any public or private university within the Valencian Community. There are no age restrictions or prerequisites for prior experience. Registrations will remain open until the 2nd of October.

Selected participants will not only have the chance to showcase their projects with a pitch on one of the main stages of VDS2023 at the City of Arts and Sciences, but they will also be in the running for a financial prize, courtesy of HP’s collaboration. Additionally, they will have the valuable opportunity to network with startups and prestigious organisations present at the international tech event, set to take place on the 26th and 27th October.

The deadline for registrations is Monday, the 2nd of October. From the 3rd to the 10th of October, teams will be formed and the challenges assigned. The hackathon itself is scheduled for the 18th of October, during which participants will be able to engage with prominent organisations including HP, BStartup Banco Sabadell, GoHub Ventures, Fresh People, Marina de Empresas, Fundación ValenciaPort, Banco Santander, and the Valencia City Council.

The most recent edition of The Challenge brought together 46 students from various universities, forming 9 teams that each presented their innovative solutions to tackle the challenges outlined in the fifth edition of VDS: Ignition, Growth, Transformation and Sustainability.

The winning teams, Viejos Amigos, BlueChange and GreenCam, all designed projects aimed at improving people’s lives and creating value for society.

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