​Annual InnovateAFITC Cyber Challenge to Help Solve COVID-19 Related Obstacles

Montgomery, Ala. – August 13, 2020 –TechMGM, Montgomery’s initiative to connect and leverage the city’s unique technology assets, will once again host the annual InnovateAFITC hackathon from August 17-26, 2020. This year, the cyber challenge will be held virtually due to COVID-19. Every year, InnovateAFITC challenges participants to create innovative solutions to significant cyber obstacles and threats. Participants this year will take part in three events, including an application building competition to help solve COVID-19 related obstacles that communities across the country are facing.
 
“This is a great opportunity to solve current challenges in our community,” says Executive Director of TechMGM, Charisse Stokes. “We hope these teams, made up of government, industry and academia, will see the value in collaboration through witnessing and participating in real‐world IT, cyber operations, software development and design methods that will benefit countless communities.”
 
Student groups will team with military and industry IT professionals to compete in an application build and pitch presentation, a network and systems administration challenge and an Esports event. Each event will be scored separately, prizes will be awarded in each event, and an overall winner will be recognized.
 
For the app build and pitch event, collaborative teams will create innovative technology solutions for supply chain operations and management, as a result of the daunting task the City of Montgomery and the nation faced due to COVID-19. Many municipalities were faced with delivering education virtually, sourcing and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), providing testing for the community and maintaining the hospitality industry. This event is an opportunity for teams to build software applications that drive impact in one of the following areas: education, medical, logistics or hospitality, as all of these areas had their own supply chain and operational obstacles to overcome due to the pandemic. Each team will provide access to their application, give a short description of the application via a Google form, and submit a video which includes a working demonstration of their application.
 
The team of judges includes Air Force Chief Transformation Officer, Lauren Knausenberger; Air Force Cyber Communications Officer, Col. Terrence Adams and Alabama EMA Director, Brian Hastings.
 
For more information on InnovateAFITC visit innovateafitc.com. For more information on the TechMGM initiative visit www.techmgm.com.