Are you ready for the challenge? Join our M-Sec Online Contest by 26 August

In the scope of its activities, the M-Sec Project intends to engage the industrial and academic sectors towards the adoption and/or development of M-Sec project findings that support the creation of new business ideas that address smart city challenges. The M-Sec Online Contest thus intends to be a space in which developers, entrepreneurs, startups, data scientists, university students, the research community and persons interested in making their city a better place can gather to develop, in a collaborative and interdisciplinary way, a business idea that makes our cities more efficient, intelligent, sustainable, and secure.

Participants must be, at least, a team of 3 members and put together a business idea that addresses one of the two proposed city challenges and considers the use of the M-Sec framework as a security and privacy element of that business case. The main goal is to leverage the M-Sec framework and, at the same time, provide other business models and use cases where M-Sec can be used, to make cities smarter and more cyber secure.

The Online Contest welcomes all ideas to the proposed challenges, and they are not expected to go beyond concept phase. Business ideas must be based on the current or future development of an original software (web/mobile app) and/or hardware (sensors, cameras) solution that solves one of the city challenges.

The Online Contest will take place between 6 and 10 September 2021. It is a completely free event in which teams are expected to receive support from the M-Sec consortium in the design and development of their new and early-stage business idea, helping them better prepare to present the idea to a panel of international experts on 10 September, at a public online event, who will decide on the top 3 winners of each city challenge.

The challenges

Contestants can apply to 1 of 2 smart city challenges.

Santander challenge “A better city for the elderly”: the population of cities is ageing rapidly and there is a need to provide solutions to the problems of the elderly, such as isolation in their homes, poor social relations, lack of physical activity, urban mobility difficulties or barriers, and so on. The Santander smart city challenge is to propose a business idea that helps address one of more of senior citizens problems.

Fujisawa challenge “Improving the efficiency of road administration. How to effectively develop a repair plan or pavements, etc.”: propose a business idea on how to prioritize the maintenance and repair of city-managed roads in an efficient manner. Business ideas for maintenance/repair/renewal of sewers, parks, or playground equipment are also welcome.

The prizes

M-Sec will support the top 3 winners of each smart city challenge in maturing and refining their business ideas into tangible business solutions. The winners will be offered 5 dedicated 1-hour sessions (or personalized online technical assistance regarding the M-Sec framework and business mentoring), aiming at better preparing winners to meet (online of face-to-face) with representatives of Santander and Fujisawa city councils, to present the business idea and potentially explore how to implement it. Moreover, awardees will be provided with visibility and exposure of their business ideas through M-Sec’s main communication channels (e.g., featured article, social media, etc.).

How to participate

Applications will run until 26 August at 5pm CET (Brussels Time) and teams will be accepted to participate at the M-Sec Project Online Contest in a “first-come first-served” basis, i.e., only the first 20 eligible finalized applications will be invited to participate between 6 and 10 September.

So, hurry up, read carefully the M-Sec Online Contest Handbook and submit your business idea through the F6S application form: https://www.f6s.com/m-sec-project-online-contest/apply.

For more information, visit the Online Contest official page, F6S page and ask any question either through the F6S discussion group or by sending an email to hello@msecproject.eu.