Frequently Asked Questions 

 
What is the hackathon about?

GE will host a hackathon during Minds+Machines 2017 in Berlin. Up to 20 teams (up to 100 developers and solution architects) will compete for the best apps. The hackathon will happen June 12th – June 13th in Berlin, at Westhafen Event & Convention Center. 

 

What are exact dates / times of the hackathon?

The hackathon will take place Monday June 12th – Tuesday June 13th (2 days) in Berlin, 9am – 5pm each day. Note, judging will commence at 2pm on the second day.   

 

Those dates are different from the conference, correct?

Partially yes. The hackathon will partially overlap with the attached Minds + Minds conference by one day (which will happen Tuesday June 13th – Wednesday 14th). Hackathon participants hence will be able to attend the conference for a full day, post hackathon.

 

What is the process?
  1. Register ASAP as “hackathon attendee” on the Hackathon Main page. (EU 50 Fee)
  2. Register on Devpost to meet the team, and join the competition.
  3. Register for your FREE training
  4. Attend (in person) the hackathon on June 12th and June 13th, and build great apps.
  5. Enjoy our success!  And feel free to attend Minds+Machines on June 14th.

 

Why is GE hosting the hackathon?

The Digital-Industrial transformation is enabled by bright minds building digital solutions for some of the toughest industrial problems. This hackathon will inspire and enable developers, and help solve some real problems.

 
What type of solutions will be developed?

Industrial Internet solutions will be developed in the areas of manufacturing and energy management. Solutions can range from smart visualization, to advanced analytics, from industrial asset monitoring to operations optimization.

 
How can participants register?

Participants can register online, while slots still available. There is a participation fee of EU 50 per participant. Some further discounts are available for sponsors and students.  Participants also need to agree to the terms and conditions of the hackathon.

 
Is anybody allowed to participate?

The hackathon is open to most serious application developers.  It is not open, however, to providers of technology platforms, or their employees.

 
Why should developers participate? 

Five reasons to participate in the hackathon:

  1. Learn the Industrial Internet. Predix training is included for FREE.
  2. Advance decarbonization. Help solve some of the toughest industrial problems.
  3. Enter chance to win big (50,000 Euro prize pool).
  4. Be seen, be heard. Connect with industrial coders and top organizations. 
  5. Have fun and network. This hackathon will be on a boat, docked at Minds+Machines
 
What else is included with the 50 Euro registration fee?

Food and beverages while on-site. Ability to experience Minds+Machines, although developers will spend most of the time hacking.

 
Is the hackathon for developers only?

Yes, the hackathon is for experienced developers. You will be asked to participate actively in the hackathon, while on-site during the full event, June 12th – June 14th. Participating teams may also invite along participants with complementary skills, such as UX experts or solution architects – however everybody is expected to fully participate.

 
What developer skills are required?

Good programming skills are imperative, in languages such as Java, JavaScript, or Python. Full-stack is ideal, also skills can vary across team members. Familiarity with calling and working with RESTful APIs is needed. Basic understanding of Cloud Foundry, OAuth and Web Application Architecture is required (which is easy to learn beforehand). Also, we welcome familiarity with IoT concepts such as reading sensor data from a device.

 
What is Predix and are Predix skills required?

Predix is GE’s Industrial IoT platform.  Predix skills are required to be successful in the hackathon. Either participants will have existing skills when signing up, or they need to commit to pick up the skills before starting with the hackathon (we do offer training!).

 
What Predix training options are available? 

Hackathon registered teams (5 people each) are invited to Predix online training. The educational (live webinar) portion of the webinar will be free for all hackathon participants. In addition, one member per team will have access to Predix training sandbox.  – In addition, there always are free self-guided tutorials.

 
What are the details of the free Predix online training? 

Training will be provided by GE’s training center remotely, free of charge. Registered hackathon participants will get invited to sign up for FREE training classes: Predix Developer Boot Camp (Online Instructor-led Training). There will two options for training classes, weeks of 5/29 and 6/05, six hours each. That will be $1000+ value per class, all free.  (Training sandbox access is limited to one person per team).

  • Option 1: May 30-31, 4 PM Berlin time (7 AM PT), 6 hours each
  • Option 2: June 05-06, 4 PM Berlin time (7 AM PT), 6 hours each

Separate registration required here (hackathon participants only)

 
Where can I learn more about the hackathon and the coding challenges?

For hackathon info, check here. For additional questions, check with Lauren Schutte or Lothar Schubert.

 

Can I integrate with any apps? Can I pre-build apps? 

Predix must be used as the primary IoT platform for your apps. That said, you may integrate with additional tools and applications, including your own pre-built apps, at your discretion. You are expected to disclose, however, the use of software not developed at the actual hackathon, and the evaluation of your application will focus on the work accomplished at the actual hackathon.

 

Can I join remotely? 

You are expected to check-in on site to participate in the hackathon.

 

What do I need to bring to the hackathon? 

Most important, yourself! Bring also a government-issued ID so we can verify your registration. And make sure to bring your laptop, mouse, and power supply.

 

Is there a dress code?

The overall conference dress code is business casual, but developers may dress casual at the hackathon if they like (e.g. jeans).

 

Is there a code of conduct? 

Yes! Please find the Minds + Machines code of conduct here.

 

What exposure can we expect for our apps? 

At Minds + Machines, the hackathon will be very visible. The winning teams in particular also will be recognized during an evening reception. Additionally, there will be social media and blogging opportunities to highlight selected participating and winning teams.