More than half of the world’s population is currently living in urban centres. These residents face constant challenges within a limited living space. World-renowned energy drink company Red Bull believes technology is the key to create more friendly, efficient, and accessible cities for all through technological and innovative solutions.
At the heart of the Red Bull Basement programme is social innovation. By combining social and technology ideas, collective and environmental problems can be solved. This will result in the development of not only the urban areas but also surrounding communities. To facilitate a social focus, the Red Bull Basement is built around hacker residency, a makerspace with free workshops, monthly lectures, and an annual festival at the end of a two-month residency programme. This setup will help guide and grow core innovative ideas from a prototype stage.
A core part of the programme is the Hatch events, which will take place in Johannesburg. These are a pipeline to expose the public to the programme and application process.
The residency will operate over two months, from 1 September to 31 October 2018 in Johannesburg. Those selected for the residency will have access to a state-of-the-art makerspace, which will include classes and mentorship sessions over the two-month period.
A range of technology innovators and thinkers will mentor and give guidance to each project. These experts range from a wide array of fields, such as entrepreneurship, design, and hardware.
In order to participate, applicants will need a project that is already in the early production stage. This can consist of a blueprint draft, pictures, 3D models, pieces of code and even a working prototype.
The Basement Programme is a Launchpad for Red Bull’s entrance into the tech scene. The company is looking to expand and grow the tech community while establishing a brand that people can align themselves with. This includes supporting the maker, hacker, and tech ecosystems while guiding innovative and social growth.
Edited by Daniëlle Kruger
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