led by the University of the Highlands and Islands
Aim: to develop co-created community projects securing local socio-economic benefits from major infrastructure development, specifically, the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.
The Green Freeport Grand Challenge Hackathon, organised and hosted by UHI, offers an exceptional real-world opportunity for students to develop multifaceted skills to tackle a ‘wicked problem’, requiring different disciplinary perspectives on a range of relevant issues including environmental impact, reduction in inequality, fair work and competing stakeholder priorities. The hackathon will activate thinking from diverse disciplines through problem solving clinics and lightening talks delivered by experts in drama and creative practice, digital inclusion, nature and communities, business, youth inclusion and entrepreneurialism.
In line with the ESRC and AHRC guidance for postgraduate training and the National Performance Framework, students will work in a challenge led environment to develop collaborative, interdisciplinary and cross-sector approaches to problem solving. Students will develop appreciation of alternative approaches to research, including qualitative methods demonstrated through creative practice, and quantitative methods relating to demographic and economic analysis. In negotiating between stakeholders, they will appreciate the importance of alternative epistemological positions, and how these impact on research findings and subsequent policy making and project development. The event will encourage students to transition from abstract conceptualisation to actionable outcomes with measurable impact.
Objective 1: establish co-creation protocols ensuring local stakeholders shape the development of the Freeport, in alignment with the National Performance Framework; ensuring shared values and aspirations, UN sustainable development goals and the reduction in inequality underpin development activities.
Objective 2: ensure biodiversity and green spaces are protected and embedded within the wider development; recognising challenges posed by industrial development within rural community contexts.
Objective 3: develop skills and services that will be required by communities and industries associated with the Freeport, with an emphasis on inclusive, fair working arrangements.
Learning Outcome 1: students will demonstrate effective engagement with diverse stakeholder representatives from local communities, industry and government; learning to negotiate competing priorities within shared values and aspirations.
Learning Outcome 2: students will demonstrate working with other disciplinary perspectives in creative problem solving, to develop ‘blue sky thinking’.
Learning Outcome 3: students will draw on establish research and analysis skills to create actionable outcomes with real world impact; creating viable development projects for the Highland Council and Green Freeport to deliver.
There will be a pre-event two weeks before a two day in person event. The pre-event will entail the sharing of materials as well as an online orientation meeting where students are introduced to the Hackathon concept and challenge, and put into groups. The in person element will take place on 14th and 15th May.
Day 1: Key note; introduction to National Performance Framework in context of the Freeport; students approach problem from interdisciplinary perspectives; parallel workshops using drama and entrepreneurial thinking for problem solving; review and reflect; hackathon dinner.
Day 2: Questions/pitch development; themed lightening talks and clinics; participants deliver pitches; ceilidh and dinner.
No prior learning required apart from consultation of materials introduced at the pre-event.
The event will take place at UHI Inverness where lifts and wheel chairs are available for participants’ use if needed. No special equipment is required – we have flip charts, smart screens with cameras and mics for recording parts of the event.
Participation of key personnel from Highland Council and the Inverness & Cromarty Green Freeport is integral to the Hackathon, establishing the context and thematic emphasis of this challenge led learning experience. They will provide materials for distribution to participants at the pre-event, and the chief executive of the Freeport will deliver a keynote talk at the start of the in person event. Senior members of Highland council with responsibility for community, places, infrastructure and economy and the Scottish government lead advisor on climate policy will be available at key points throughout to provide further context and answer questions as students develop their pitches. At the end of the event, student groups will deliver their pitches, and a panel consisting of our external partners will select one project to review for further development and potential implementation. Highland Council and the Freeport support this event as an opportunity to develop ‘blue sky’ thinking to inform future policy making and project development.
Post event, all materials used to provide context and frame key challenges relating to the Green Freeport development will be provided via Social. These will be open access online resources on topics such as rural depopulation, demographic analysis of the region, green hydrogen for a low carbon future, regional and national planning policy, and climate policy. A link will be provided to the National Performance Framework.
Recordings of the keynote talk, lightening talks and the project pitches will be included and consent will be obtained from participants. Information tracking the development of the winning pitch into actions for development will also be uploaded. This will be updated approximately one year after the event.
We look forward to making you a warm welcome in the Highlands, and participants will be provided with lunches and dinners for both in person days.
The event will conclude with a Hackathon ceilidh. Taxis will be provided to transport participants from the UHI Inverness campus to Inverness city centre at the end of both days.