SAS Global Hackathon continues push for curiosity and innovation

CARY, N.C., Dec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At the heart of chemical plants are steam-cracking furnaces that help create products we use every day, including gasoline and ethylene (for plastics). And at the heart of LivNSense's Cognitive Furnace software is artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, streaming analytics and data visualization from SAS, the leader in analytics.

Earlier this year, startup LivNSense™ refined its technology for optimizing industrial furnaces for the chemical, petrochemical and metal sectors by participating in the first ever SAS Global Hackathon, where it won both the global manufacturing and IoT categories.

"The SAS Global Hackathon helped us experiment and bring our Cognitive Furnace technology to the next level," said LivNSense CEO Avnish Kumar. "Data from sensors in industrial furnaces feed our AI-powered virtual furnace so manufacturers can optimize performance and reduce energy consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions and carbon footprint. The SAS Hackathon was a great environment in which to try new ideas and drive innovation."

2022 SAS Hackathon registration now open
In 2022, SAS will once again support a global Hackathon. And registration is open. From now through Feb. 15, teams and individual data scientists, technology enthusiasts and business visionaries can sign up on the SAS Hackathon website. Those not signing up with a team will be matched with a team of like-minded, curious individuals.

How you can join the SAS Hackathon
Anyone interested in analytics, including SAS customers and technology partners, independent developers, students and startup businesses can join the 2022 Hackathon. Hackathon teams can include people from one or more organizations, or an individual looking to join a group.

Register your team (of two to 10 people) or sign up as an individual by Feb. 15, 2022.

Teams will need to provide a brief description of the real-world challenge – a business or sustainability issue – that they will address. Individuals will need to share more on their interests and skills so they can be best matched with a team. Once registration is confirmed, participants will receive emails with further instructions.

Teams will focus on one or more of 10 industry categories:

• AgTech
• Banking
• Energy
• Health care and life sciences
• Insurance
• IoT
• Manufacturing
• Public sector
• Retail
• Telecom

Throughout March 2022, teams will network and collaborate with each other and with SAS mentors and partners to improve their ideas and technologies. Finalists will be selected in April and connected with SAS experts for further application development. Winners will be announced at a 2022 SAS event.

"Great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. When data enthusiasts come together from different regions, with diverse backgrounds and skill levels, amazing things can happen," said Einar Halvorsen, Global Hackathon Lead at SAS. "The SAS Hackathon is truly an environment where your curiosity leads to innovation."

LivNSense was one of 100 teams from across the globe in the 2021 Hackathon that worked to improve people's lives, enhance businesses and promote a healthy planet. Other winning teams used technologies like AI and machine learning, computer vision and IoT to:

• Save the lives of first responders via smart traffic lights.
• Explore nationwide manure recycling to boost food production and improve the environment.
• Analyze patients' movements via a smart shoe insole to create a risk score for loss of balance and falling.
• Help banks to better align their portfolios with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

For more on the 2021 SAS Global Hackathon, check out the e-book, Data scientists use SAS^® Viya^® on Microsoft Azure to develop big innovations, which showcases successful outcomes from select teams.

What is a hackathon?
During a hackathon, teams of participants collaborate and compete to find the best solutions to a business or humanitarian challenge using technology.

Unlike many hackathons where participants meet in person for a couple of days, the SAS Hackathon is all-digital and much more than a competition. Prior to the month-long Hackathon, teams have access to a learning portal and a SAS mentor.

Through the SAS Hackathon, participants can explore entrepreneurial approaches, network with fellow innovators, and try out technologies like SAS Viya. And in the process, Hackathon teams can create potentially viable applications and products for the marketplace that SAS will assist in developing and commercializing.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW^®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2021 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE SAS