Registers of Cultural Entities

Design a comprehensive IT solution for dynamic creation and filling of registers of cultural entities.

  • Prize money for the winner: 3000 €
  • 12th - 13th April 2024
  • Binarium, Bratislava

Aftermovie

Initial situation

The need to identify all stakeholders in culture arises from the Cultural and Creative Industry Strategy of the Slovak Republic until 2030, created by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. This strategy was consulted with external experts and approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic on June 12, 2023. Specifically, it involves measure 1.5.1 to identify infrastructure in culture and the creative industry, with the aim of preparing a cultural law defining entities and infrastructure of culture and creative industry for legal entities and individuals.

Additionally, according to Act No. 265/2022 Coll. on publishers of publications and on the register in the field of media and audiovisuals and on amendment of certain laws, the Ministry is obliged in the future to maintain and publish a register, which is an information system of public administration containing updated information. The register must be maintained on the ministry’s website and must be accessible to the public.

Public administration institutions need to make informed decisions based on quality data and analysis. The solution of creating a tool for any future registry will provide open possibilities for other ministries and public administration institutions, as well as for the Ministry of Culture itself.

The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic does not have a register of all existing legal entities in the field of art, culture, and the creative industries, making it difficult to implement measures aimed at the entire sector. Its significance became fully apparent after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic when the ministry needed to target governmental support, but it did not have a complete list of eligible entities.

This task requires a “tailor-made” solution, including considerations for information and cybernetic security, with no suitable commercial solution available on the market.

Existing registers

  • Sectors of cultural heritage (museums, galleries, libraries) – nearing 100% repletion
  • Art sector (visual arts, theaters, musical entities) – low repletion
  • Sectors falling under KKP (architecture, design, gaming industry) – no registers

Publicly available data

  • Register of non-governmental non-profit organizations
  • Commercial Register
  • Finstat
  • Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

Aim of the hackathon

Create an information system that will contain registers of legal entities whose main activities have an artistic or cultural character, analyze and propose from which data sources and how the IS will obtain, process, and fill data into the registers.

bars
chart

Challenge of the hackathon

Design a comprehensive IT solution for dynamic and automated creation and filling of registers of legal entities operating in the cultural sector, with options for setting their mutual relationships, scalable for use in the environment of central government authorities.

Bonus task

Consider the possible use of artificial intelligence (AI) elements for data collection and its learning for sorting and cleaning the collected data about cultural subjects.

Expected solution

The output of the hackathon should be a document outlining the method of creating an information system (IS) that will contain registers of legal entities whose main activities have an artistic or cultural character, as well as the method of filling it with data and how to obtain, process, and display this data.

  • Public and private sections
  • Automated data collection from search engines based on entered keywords
  • Manual registration of entities
  • Categorization of entities by cultural sectors
  • Import and export of data
  • Generation of output data for managerial decision-making
  • Creation of galleries, navigation menus, dynamic pages, and widgets
  • Automated processing of statistical results

Winners

First place
Team Sofity

The winning team Sofity proposed a platform that utilizes artificial intelligence and offers automated management and updating of registers. It can recognize data from PDF files and automatically fill out the subject’s form based on them. Among the platform’s functionalities are proposals for the structure of registers based on descriptions; inclusion of subjects in registers, or mapping of data during imports.

“We appreciate that the challenge was detailed and analytically elaborated. Throughout the process of creating a solution, we closely collaborated with mentors who provided us with useful information, thanks to which we were able to devise a functional solution. I also think that our experience from the previous hackathon helped us to win. We are excited about the victory and plan to participate in other hackathons as well,” evaluated team captain Tetiana Zatykian after receiving the award.

Second place
Team Argon

Team Argon presented a solution that ensures easy creation of registers through 2 systems: a website for the public and an application for the Ministry itself. The website serves for the public to register through their own profiles and create a register from available templates. The registers are divided into categories and are also distinguished by numbers for a specific register and tags, which allow easy filtering of registers. In the application, it is then possible to filter the categories we want to send information to and send them directly.

“We don’t go to hackathons with the intention of winning. Our goal is to make the most of these two days, as we see them as an opportunity to learn something new. We have the opportunity to talk to business experts, mentors, and also other competing teams whose experiences push us further,” added team captain Michaela Vavrová about the course of hackathons.

Third place
Team K3

The third place was taken by the team named K3, which came up with a system called “All you need is 1”, based on open-source solutions with minimal redundancy, aimed at making employees’ work as easy as possible.

“It was our first hackathon and we are very pleasantly surprised because we didn’t expect to be among winning teams right away. Many thanks also go to the mentors and organizers who were willing to answer every question,” said Filip Kerák.

List of Mentors and Experts

photo

Andrej Kučera

IT analyst, MK SR

From an early age, he was drawn to information technology. Throughout his professional career, he led IT teams for international companies such as CBC Health based in Lucerne, Switzerland, and IMP net s.r.o. based in Brno, as well as for local Slovak companies. Currently, he works as an IT analyst at the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. At the age of 35, he …

Show more

photo

Michaela Rudyjová

Data analyst, MK SR

Michaela has been working as a data analyst at the Institute of Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic for the fifth year now. In the past, she gained work experience at the Divadelná Nitra festival and the Telč Summer Fest. She holds a Doctorate Magistrale degree from the Italian university Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, …

Show more

photo

Tomáš Ludwig

UX Expert, jabono s.r.o. | MIRRI SR

Tomáš is dedicated to business process analysis, UX design, and software, web, and mobile application prototyping in the UX company jabono. Additionally, he works as a consultant for the mass deployment of Apple technologies in schools and businesses. Currently, he is working at MIRRI on prototyping designs for selected citizen life situations and expanding the ID-SK …

Show more

photo

Marek Hronec

Cloud Architect, MIRRI SR

Marek is a passionate expert in digital technologies with deep knowledge in cloud solutions and process automation. He focuses on designing and implementing innovative IT solutions that enhance efficiency and security within public administration. His work involves developing and optimizing technological processes and systems to support the digitization and modernization …

Show more

photo

Roman Gelien

Cloud Architect, MIRRI SR

Roman has over 18 years of experience in IT. Currently, he works as a cloud architect in the Department of Technological Architecture Management at MIRRI SR. His responsibilities include designing and managing solutions for government cloud services, communicating with all parties involved, and coordinating technological architecture. Roman also defines and guides the …

Show more

photo

Tomáš Makáň

UX designer, ID SK specialist, MIRRI SR

Tomáš decided to elevate his design career in 2016 and fully immersed himself in the world of UX. Over the years, dozens of projects have passed through his hands, ranging from simple websites to corporate enterprise systems and even governmental solutions. Tomáš grew with the help of the design community and still acknowledges its power today. Therefore, he actively …

Show more

photo

Štefan Černý

Chief IT Architect, Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic

Štefan is a key figure in the IT sector with deep specialization in cybersecurity, GDPR regulation, and legal aspects of IT. His expertise covers a wide range of activities, including the creation of IT architectural solutions, development processes, migration, and consolidation of applications. He also has experience in building and leading strategic and implementation …

Show more

photo

Peter Remiš

Consultant MIRRI SR

Peter is a fan of digital technologies and innovations. He is actively engaged in designing and developing web applications, portals, online solutions, as well as online marketing. At MIRRI, he is currently working on creating functional prototypes for citizens’ real-life situations and collaborating on projects aimed at developing IT systems for public administration. In …

Show more

List of Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is behind the Hackathon?

The owner of the topics of the Hackathon is Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

How is the "team" defined?

The minimum of 2 people including a speaker e.g. a person that will present the idea, and understands the business and the challenge; and a tech expert who is able to create a prototype or a clickable version of the application / web / product.

What are the ideal roles for our hackathons?

The goal of our hackathons isn’t to program an entire solution but to develop a comprehensive concept. It’s crucial to focus on the feasibility of the solution during its creation and presentation, as this heavily influences the jury’s decision on the winning project. Before arriving at the hackathon, define the roles within your team. Leverage each member’s strengths to save time and avoid conflicts. One person can take on multiple roles, but having clarity helps. 

  • Analyst
    Thinks analytically and can quickly understand and map out processes or data structures. Often, technical problems stem from flawed processes, so it’s beneficial to outline, comprehend, and propose adjustments to these processes before suggesting a technical solution.

  • Designer
    Understands the design process and knows that a picture is worth a thousand words. By creating sketches or wireframes, the designer quickly brings the proposed product to life. This makes it easier to iterate on ideas and test solutions with users. Whether you stick to sketches or refine the design, it’s an excellent way to present your product.

  • IT specialist
    Has a strong grasp of technical matters. If you’re designing a software product, this could be a software architect or developer who outlines the technical architecture of the solution. While coding is a plus, it’s not the primary goal. If you decide to code, focus on components that can be completed within the timeframe and set you apart from the competition.

  • Product manager
    Rozumie biznis potrebám a problémom zákazníka. Spoluprácou a spájaním informácií od ostatných členov tímu potom smeruje výsledný produkt tak, aby riešil problémy ako zákazníka, tak aj koncového používateľa a bol realizovateľný v stanovenom čase a rozpočte.

  • Salesperson
    Actively communicates and represents your team during the hackathon, especially when presenting your product to the jury. They believe in the product, can highlight its strengths, address customer business problems, and emphasize the benefits for end users.

Can I change the team composition during the hackathon?

The team composition can be changed before the hackathon. However, it remains fixed during the hackathon, meaning that no new team members whose names or email addresses were not provided during registration or check-in on the event’s opening day can be added after the official registration and check-in.

What will happen after filling out the application?

As soon as you submit your application, a member of the hacknime.to team will contact you within 24 hours (either by email or by phone) with further information and the procedure.

Can I be not selected for the hackathon?

If you register after the capacity is full or you will not match the criteria for the participating teams, you will not be chosen as the participant.

What are the selection criteria for contestants? What do I have to fulfill?

The basic scoring scale includes:

  • Experience in the IT and TECH industry or

  • Experience in design thinking procedures or

  • Experience in the so-called sprint procedures, SCRUM master certificate or

  • Experience in drawing up business plans, new businesses, creating prototypes or MVP or

  • You are a high school student focused on computer technologies, economics, business or design (both product and digital) or

  • You are a student of a university focused on computer technologies, economics, business or design (both product and digital)

  • If you do not meet any of the above criteria, you can still prove that you have personally participated in at least two hackathons in the past (it is necessary to prove the output of these events)

If as an adept (or combined your team) meets at least two requirements from the above criteria, you have the right to participate in the hackathon. The more requirements you fulfill, you move up in the ranking.

What is a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest represents a situation where a personal interest motivates or could motivate a judge/mentor/organizer employee/topic owner/competitor to act against the best interests of the hackathon. Involvement of these individuals in activities where a conflict of interest occurs or may occur is not allowed. Such activities include:

  • Influencing mentors and judges to gain an advantage for themselves or a close person, financially or otherwise,

  • Influencing individuals working for the organizer, the ministry, or a company with a supplier or partner relationship with the organizer,

  • Intentional modification of solutions by mentors or possible one-sided mentoring in favor of some participants,

  • Formation of a competition team by a mentor, judge, or person working for the organizer, topic owner, or the ministry,

  • and others.

If a participant identifies a conflict of interest, they are required to immediately and verifiably inform about the conflict of interest. If a participant fails to report circumstances that could lead to a conflict of interest, this fact will itself constitute a violation of these principles and may result in the disqualification of the competition team at the hackathon. The decision on disqualification is made by the organizer.

Can I participate in the event if I am under 18 years old?

A person under 18 years of age may participate in the event only after completing and submitting a parental/legal guardian consent form to the organizer or when accompanied by a parent/legal guardian throughout the entire duration of the event.

When is the deadline for registration?

Teams or individuals will be able to register until April 10th, 2024, or until the maximum capacity.

Is there capacity for the attendees?

The attendee capacity is up to 60 people.

How will the best solution be evaluated at the hackathon?

Task Fulfillment / Relevance / Functionality:

  • Score by the jury: 1 to 35

  • The solution / POC / MVP / Software relates to the theme of the hackathon and the defined challenges.

  • The solution / POC / MVP / Software works and meets at least the basic user functions.

Idea / Originality, Uniqueness, Creativity

  • Score by the jury: 1 to 10

  • How creative is the idea behind the solution / POC / MVP / Software?

  • How original is the solution / POC / MVP / Software?

  • Is it something that hasn’t been done before, and unique compared to competitors?

User Experience / Added Value (or technical design for solutions without a frontend)

  • Score by the jury: 1 to 15

  • Is the overall user experience intuitive?

  • Does the solution / POC / MVP / Software make sense from a UX perspective?

  • What will be the impact (in terms of scope) and added value of the solution / POC / MVP / Software for the target audience?

Feasibility / Implementability / Viability

  • Score by the jury: 1 to 35

  • Does the solution / POC / MVP / Software actually work? Is the solution / POC / MVP / Software easy to scale?

  • Is there potential for the solution to be realized with the resources that are realistically available?

  • How relevant and applicable is the use of the solution / POC / MVP / Software for solving the given challenge?

Presentation to the Jury

  • Score by the jury: 1 to 5

  • Quality of the presentation, visual aspects, content, and delivery in an engaging manner.

The maximum number of points a team can earn is 100.

What happens if the participating team comes to the hackathon with a pre-prepared solution?

The organizer and owner of the hackathon theme has the motivation to bring, based on the innovative hackathon event, new solutions for our company, improvement of existing available solutions or otherwise innovate the current state. The competition team can come to the hackathon with a ready-made solution, but it must be visibly demonstrated that, thanks to the hackathon, consultations with mentors and experts, the transformation of its ready-made solution into the final form for the requirements of the Topic Owner took place.

Can I be disqualified?

A team may be disqualified by the organizer if caught cheating, copying solutions from other teams, making audio or video recordings, plagiarism, or any other form of copying from other teams, misusing information from other teams, illegally obtaining data from other teams, creating content with the intention of harming other participants, or otherwise violating the ethics of the competition. Anyone who witnesses unfair behavior must inform the organizer.

Suspicion of disqualification can be reported by members of the competition teams, mentors, or the theme owner’s team or the Organizer. Suspicion of unfair behavior must be reported personally to the Organizer. The team or team member who has violated the rules will be asked to leave the hacking area. To ensure the smooth progress and continuation of the hackathon, the disqualification of a team will be announced to other participants during the next break.

Can I withdraw my team during the hackathon?

Teams can withdraw at any time during the hackathon. Merging of teams is not allowed after the initial check-in of the teams. A team that wishes to withdraw must notify the organizer in person.

Is it possible to hack both physically and online during the event?

For the physical hackathon, in-person attendance of the team is required. However, in case of need or personal circumstances, it is possible for a team member to participate and hack online.

Is there a fee for attending the hackathon?

Participation is free of charge. All costs are covered by the organizer.

Can the hacking continue during the night?

Yes, participants will be allowed to continue hacking during the night.

The organizer does not provide sleeping bags, mattresses, beds, or other accommodation directly at the hackathon venue. Drinking water and showers are available throughout the entire hackathon. Each competing team is assigned one access card, allowing them to enter and exit the designated hacking area at any time during the event.

What is required from the attendee and what will be available in the premises?

Each participant needs to bring his / her own laptop or any other hardware that he / she needs to work on challenges. Other things will be provided by the organizer such as WiFi, food for the whole day (buffets, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks).

What is the official language of the hackathon?

The official language is Slovak. However, some keynote lectures and workshops may also be held in English.

Is there any catering during the event?

The hackathon organizer guarantees full meals and snacks throughout the entire event in the form of buffets. Drinks are provided as well.

Prize money pre víťazné tímy

Prvé tri miesta, ktoré porota vyhodnotí ako najlepšie budú ocenené prize money nasledovne:

  1. Prvé miesto : 3000 Eur

  2. Druhé miesto: 2000 Eur

  3. Tretie miesto: 1000 Eur

What will happen after the hackathon in case I win?

Winning teams will have a chance to participate in the development and implementation of the solution in cooperation with the topic owner.

What does it mean to win a hackathon and what are my requirements afterward?

The winning teams enter into a licensing agreement for their solutions developed during the hackathon (the license applies only to what was created during the hackathon). This is a non-exclusive license that is limited to the territory of the Slovak Republic and is unlimited in time. This means, it does not limit the author at all in the dissemination of his work as part of his commercial activities. On the contrary, the owner of the topic (always a public administration institution) is authorized to distribute the license in the interest of the economy within public institutions. The author remains the owner of the work, the owner of the topic has only such a non-exclusive license. In addition, if the winning teams do not agree on the implementation of the winning solution with the Theme Owner, the winning prize money may not be returned to the Organizer.

Do you want to be part of the next step towards Slovakia’s digitalization?

Prize money

  1. First place 3 000 €
  2. Second place 2 000 €
  3. Third place 1 000 €

Simply fill out the registration form, and we will contact you in due time with all the details. You will receive information about the competition, updates, and specifics of the challenge.

Andrej Kučera

IT analyst, MK SR

From an early age, he was drawn to information technology. Throughout his professional career, he led IT teams for international companies such as CBC Health based in Lucerne, Switzerland, and IMP net s.r.o. based in Brno, as well as for local Slovak companies. Currently, he works as an IT analyst at the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. At the age of 35, he graduated in law, but he never lost his lifelong passion for software and continues to pursue it. He values order in things, enjoys leading and motivating colleagues, and advocates for continuous improvement for all.

Michaela Rudyjová

Data analyst, MK SR

Michaela has been working as a data analyst at the Institute of Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic for the fifth year now. In the past, she gained work experience at the Divadelná Nitra festival and the Telč Summer Fest. She holds a Doctorate Magistrale degree from the Italian university Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, specializing in economics and management of arts and culture. She further deepened her knowledge through doctoral studies in the field of culture at Comenius University in Bratislava.

Tomáš Ludwig

UX Expert, jabono s.r.o. | MIRRI SR

Tomáš is dedicated to business process analysis, UX design, and software, web, and mobile application prototyping in the UX company jabono. Additionally, he works as a consultant for the mass deployment of Apple technologies in schools and businesses. Currently, he is working at MIRRI on prototyping designs for selected citizen life situations and expanding the ID-SK design system.

Marek Hronec

Cloud Architect, MIRRI SR

Marek is a passionate expert in digital technologies with deep knowledge in cloud solutions and process automation. He focuses on designing and implementing innovative IT solutions that enhance efficiency and security within public administration. His work involves developing and optimizing technological processes and systems to support the digitization and modernization of services for citizens. Marek is known for his professional approach and ability to tackle complex challenges, making him a valuable member of any project team.

Roman Gelien

Cloud Architect, MIRRI SR

Roman has over 18 years of experience in IT. Currently, he works as a cloud architect in the Department of Technological Architecture Management at MIRRI SR. His responsibilities include designing and managing solutions for government cloud services, communicating with all parties involved, and coordinating technological architecture. Roman also defines and guides the principles and direction of the government cloud and conducts reviews of solution proposals and architectural approaches. Additionally, he serves as the chairman of the working group on strategic priorities for informatization for the government cloud.

Tomáš Makáň

UX designer, ID SK specialist, MIRRI SR

Tomáš decided to elevate his design career in 2016 and fully immersed himself in the world of UX. Over the years, dozens of projects have passed through his hands, ranging from simple websites to corporate enterprise systems and even governmental solutions. Tomáš grew with the help of the design community and still acknowledges its power today. Therefore, he actively supports it by organizing events and conferences. In addition to mentoring designers, he dedicates his free time to volunteering in organizations such as SUXA or slovensko.digital.

Štefan Černý

Chief IT Architect, Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic

Štefan is a key figure in the IT sector with deep specialization in cybersecurity, GDPR regulation, and legal aspects of IT. His expertise covers a wide range of activities, including the creation of IT architectural solutions, development processes, migration, and consolidation of applications. He also has experience in building and leading strategic and implementation teams, mastering ITIL processes, managing operational and investment budgets. He currently holds the position of IT architect at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic. Previously, he worked as architect of information technologies in the Dr.Max pharmacy network and a senior consultant at Datalan. His experience also includes the position of Enterprise Architect at SPP, a.s., where he defined IT architecture for data centers, BCM, licenses, call centers, SAP, archiving, backup, storage, and identity management.

Peter Remiš

Consultant MIRRI SR

Peter is a fan of digital technologies and innovations. He is actively engaged in designing and developing web applications, portals, online solutions, as well as online marketing. At MIRRI, he is currently working on creating functional prototypes for citizens’ real-life situations and collaborating on projects aimed at developing IT systems for public administration. In the past, he worked for an extended period in the telecommunications sector. There, he was involved in online marketing, managing and developing online sales, optimizing and automating sales processes, and designing and creating online and e-commerce solutions.