One of Europe's leading home appliance brands, Beko, announces its Hack the Normal 2022 Sustainability Hackathon event to empower innovators to develop new technologies and sustainable living solutions. Winning teams will compete for the €50,000 prize pool to develop their ideas, in addition to coaching and backing of resources to scale their innovations.

Taking place between the 13th – 15th of May, the three-day hybrid event is set to host hundreds of top entrepreneurs, engineers, and developers in Europe to create solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges relating to climate change, water management, and circular economy. Participating teams will address a range of real-world challenges, from eliminating water pollution to tackling plastic waste and reducing the carbon footprint of household products. 

Hack the Normal Sustainability builds on the success of previous Hack the Normal events in Africa and Turkey. Hack the Normal has already produced innovative products and solutions we see in our everyday lives. Attendees to the event will have the opportunity to hear about these success stories as well as speeches from thought leaders in sustainable business, including WWF and P&G. 

The event will feature four conferences on sustainability that are open to the general public and that aim to inform and inspire, plus innovation learning, coaching, mentoring, and networking sessions.

Romania will open the hackathon with a panel on the topic of sustainability in the value chain, live from the Arctic factory in Ulmi, the first Industry 4.0 production unit in Romania and one of the most modern in the world. Gabriel Eremia - Marketing & Product Management Arctic Director, Ümit Gülbay - Factory Director Ulmi Washing Machine Plant, Victor Spiță - Industry X Manufacturing & Operations Lead Eastern Europe at Accenture, Alexandru Laibăr - Executive Director of the Coalition for Circular Economy will highlight the role of digitalization in the transition to a circular economy.

Sustainable production practices will also be brought into the spotlight, including technological innovations from Ulmi, thanks to which the factory has been awareded an extensive number of accreditations as a green production unit. The Artc washing machine factory is the only one in Romania that received the LEED Platinum certification, the highest recognition of performance in the field of sustainable production. The Ulmi plant has also been recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the most innovative in the world, part of the Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution Lighthouse network. 

„If we are to effectively tackle some of today’s urgent environmental challenges, it is essential to nurture a culture of open cooperation and innovation. Sustainable growth through more efficient use of energy, materials and resources is our central focus. The Ulmi plant is a flagship for the industry from this point of view and we are delighted to host an event that brings together hundreds of talents dedicated to the mission to having a positive impact on the plant. We look forward to welcoming all those with innovative solutions in the field of sustainability at Hack the Normal 2022”, Artic CEO Murat Büyükerk declared.  

You can find more information on the event website. Live session can be watched here.

Hack the Normal Sustainability is organised by TNW and FT Talent and partners with key organizations including UN Technology Bank, Microsoft and Reckitt Benckiser, to bring external ideas and innovation in different disciplines into the project.