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Hitachi Green Finance Innovation Challenge

Join Hitachi's Net Zero Challenge: Real Estate Innovation

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#finance #sustainability #greenfinance #innovation #hackathon

Paving the Way Towards a Net-Zero Future
  • Start Registration

  • Submit Proposals

  • Shortlist Finalists

  • Submit Solutions

  • Announce Winners

All timings are as per (GMT +9:00) Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, Sapporo, Yakutsk
Organized By
In Partnership With

About Us

Hitachi, Ltd. is a global leader in technology and innovation, committed to creating a sustainable society through advanced solutions across various sectors. Founded in 1910, Hitachi combines cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise to deliver integrated solutions in areas such as IT services, social infrastructure and green energy. With a focus on collaboration and sustainability, Hitachi aims to drive positive change and enhance the quality of life for communities worldwide.

Join the Mission to leverage Green Finance to accelerate the path to achieving Net Zero goals

The building industry accounts for c. 40% (ref: UN Env. Program) of global energy-related carbon emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Achieving net-zero emissions in this sector is not just an ambitious goal-it's an important and urgent necessity for a sustainable future. Your expertise could create the breakthroughs needed to transform this pivotal industry

We invite innovators from Enterprises, Startups in Climate Tech, FinTech, Proptech, Academia, and visionaries in emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Digital Assets, IoT, and others to join this unique and purpose-driven Innovation Challenge. By leveraging cutting-edge datasets from the Hitachi Green Finance Dataset Library, Innovators have the opportunity to develop solutions that can revolutionize sustainability in real estate

Why Get Involved:

  • Global Impact: Contribute to reducing emissions and help in Saving our planet.
  • Cutting-Edge Applications: Apply advanced technologies to real-world sustainability challenges.
  • Collaborative Environment: Connect with like-minded professionals passionate about sustainability.
  • Exclusive Data Access: Utilize rich datasets to develop and refi ne your solutions.
  • Shape the Future: Influence how sustainable practices are adopted globally in the real estate sector.

Note:

Hitachi has contributed to the development of the SLEB platform, actively supporting the platform’s growth with innovative ideas that enhance its functionality and value. These augmentations continue to drive the platform's evolution, ensuring it meets industry needs effectively.

Hitachi Green Finance Dataset Library – Rich repository of Datasets for Real Estate from Super Low Energy Building (SLEB) Platform (https://SLEB.sg) and other sources for innovators to leverage

Problem Statements

The real estate sector faces significant challenges in adopting green finance solutions due to issues such as data fragmentation, lack of standardized sustainability criteria, and low market awareness. These obstacles slow down investment in sustainable real estate projects and hinder the growth of green finance.

Join Us to Pave the Way Towards a Net-Zero Future
The need for innovation is critical. Your participation could lead to solutions and that make buildings smarter, more sustainable, and accelerate the flow of green capital globally.

Are You Ready to Make a Global Impact?
Join us in this exciting journey to revolutionize the building industry. Collaborate, innovate, and be the catalyst for change toward a sustainable future.

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Innovation Challenge 1

Limited Innovative Green Finance Products

In the Real Estate Sector, banks and investors face significant obstacles in creating and deploying Green Finance products due to a lack of standard sustainability criteria, widespread data fragmentation, and minimal market awareness. These issues hinder their ability to identify and invest in high-quality sustainable real estate initiatives, subsequently slowing the infusion of capital into the green real estate sector.

How can we revolutionize Green Finance by developing innovative Green Finance products (say Sustainability Linked Loans) that address the challenges of standardization, data fragmentation, and low awareness—thereby accelerating investment into sustainable real estate projects?
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Innovation Challenge 2

Lack of Verifiable Data and Trust Hinders Green Finance

Financial institutions struggle to offer green loans and mortgages due to the difficulty in trusting or verifying environmental data from property owners, operators, and energy firms. Without reliable and transparent data, they cannot properly assess risks and benefits, which hinders the approval of green financing.

What groundbreaking solutions can we create to establish verifiable and trustworthy data, enabling financial institutions to confidently assess risks and significantly expand green financing options. We are interested in not the technology such as the usage of blockchain but the mechanism to get verifiable & trusted data (for e.g. Verifiable Identity)?
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Innovation Challenge 3

Difficulty Accessing Sustainable Investment Opportunities

Both private and public Investors face challenges in finding and investing in sustainable real estate projects due to a fragmented market with no standardized information to identify promising opportunities, resulting from diverse risk appetite. Additionally, the high upfront capital requirements—often influenced by varying regional regulations—act as a significant barrier, limiting access for many potential investors.

How Can We Innovate to Unify the Sustainable Investment Market? - Considering the existing barriers such as high upfront costs, varied risk appetite of investors and diverse regulatory frameworks, how might we employ blended finance (pooling investments from investors with varied risk & return time frame appetites – say Government, Not for Profit, Private sectors etc) to develop a unified platform that simplifies the process for investors to discover, evaluate, and invest in sustainable real estate opportunities? We challenge you to create innovative solutions that integrate public and private capital to make sustainable real estate more accessible and attractive.
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Innovation Challenge 4

Low Incentives for Sustainability Upgrades

Property owners are often reluctant to invest in energy-efficient upgrades due to high initial costs. While traditional methods like offering lower interest rates for the loans for sustainability upgrades are acknowledged, they are not often enough to motivate property owners to act.

What innovative strategies can we develop to provide incentives ( financial & non-financial)/ benefits for property owners, encouraging them to invest in sustainability upgrades and accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient practices, beyond the conventional approach of reducing interest rates? This approach should focus on creative, reward mechanisms and financial benefits that make sustainable investment irresistibly attractive to property owners.

Winners

Unlock Opportunities to Innovate, Network, and Shape the Future of Sustainable Finance!

Collaborate with top minds to create groundbreaking solutions that drive sustainable investments. Gain exposure, mentorship, and the chance to win exciting prizes while shaping the future of green finance!

Host
Winning Prize
One winner in each category of problem statement shall receive an award of SGD 10,000
Host
Best Team
The best team within the 4 categories above shall receive an extra award of SGD 10,000

Eligibility

  1. The competition invites organizations dedicated to developing innovative digital solutions leveraging advanced technologies-such as AI, natural language processing (NLP), distributed ledger technology, and imaging to enhance financial processes. Eligible participants should demonstrate a strong focus on innovation and the novel application of technology in their solutions.
  2. The competition is open to Organisations who meet all the following criteria:
    • Fully complete the registration and proposal submission process by the stated deadline within the framework of the Hitachi Innovation Hackathon, the Four Problem Statements; and
    • Are not an employee of the organizing organizations (Hitachi), or any of its subsidiaries, or an immediate family member of any such employee.
  3. Team leaders must fully register their teams and submit their proposal(s) to one or more problem statements by the close of the registration period. Teams are encouraged to register early. Registrations to specific problem statements may close once the application cap on that problem statement is reached. Participation is free of charge.
  4. All participants must agree to the terms and conditions of the Hitachi Hackathon and the Technology Provider's platform usage conditions (APIX) before they can submit their registration.
  5. Teams will retain the title, rights of ownership, or intellectual property rights of any kind regarding the Proposals and any related information submitted or developed on the platform in response to the problem statements.
  6. Final submissions from all shortlisted teams will need to be made available to the judging panel on the APIX hackathon platform. Teams declare and guarantee that:
    • They have all necessary authorizations, permissions, licenses, and agreements to participate in the Hitachi Innovation Hackathon and for all material uploaded to, or developed on the platform.
    • Their participation in the Hitachi Innovation Hackathon and their submission of Proposals comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
  7. If the judging panel selects one of the team's Proposals as a winning solution, the team agrees to present the proposal in a manner and format agreed with the organizers.
  8. By registering for the Hackathon and accepting the terms and conditions, participants agree to engage in the event at no cost.
  9. The Hackathon will operate in English. All materials and communications submitted in connection with the Hackathon must be in English.
  10. Participants must submit original ideas that have not been previously developed, published, or used in other hackathons
  11. Participation in this hackathon is open to individuals aged 18 and above
  12. Each participating team must consist of no more than 10 members

FAQ

Am I eligible?

The Hitachi Innovation Hackathon is targeted at teams from all countries meeting the Eligibility Criteria published on the Hitachi Hackathon landing page and are interested in developing technological solutions to address the identified problem statements and who have a proven track record of delivery – whether that is writing software, designing user experiences, or product management. The competition is open to all participants who meet all of the following criteria: 1. Fully complete the registration and proposal submission process by the stated deadline 2. Are not an employee of the organizing organizations (Hitachi), or any of its subsidiaries, or an immediate family member of any such employee.

Are there any other requirements?

You will have to agree to the terms and conditions of the Hitachi Innovation Hackathon and the Event Platform’s user requirements at the point of registration. Participants should also note that the Hackathon will operate in English. All materials and communications submitted in connection with the Hackathon must be in English.

Can I participate in multiple problem statements?

Yes you may participate in solving multiple problem statements. However, please note only one proposal is accepted from an organization for a particular problem statement. Please ensure therefore, that the best solution is put forward. An organization can submit proposals for all the problem statements.

How do I register and submit my team's solution proposal (s)?

Interested teams should click on the registration tab and complete fully the registration questionnaire before the registration deadline. Teams should also fill in fully the details of their proposal (s) in the relevant sections of the questionnaire. If teams wish, they can submit supplementary material relevant to their proposal (s) in the attachment section and/or links to short explainer videos. This would be treated as supplementary reference material and reviewed only if the written proposal in the questionnaire is assessed to have sufficient merit.

Is there any geographical restriction on who can participate?

No. The physical location of the participant does not matter. We welcome proposals from all jurisdictions and will work with the participants to facilitate an effective presentation of the proposal during the judging phase.

What is the judging process?

Our panel of judges will assess the proposals based on their desirability, feasibility, and viability in addressing the problem statement. The screening and shortlisting process will take place on January 10th, 2025, with the winners being announced on March 4th, 2025

Can I request for re-evaluation in case I am not satisfied with the Judges' decision?

NO. You cannot request for re-evaluation. The decision of the judges shall be final and binding. Hitachi reserves all rights with respect to the event.

How to Register for hackathon & submit proposal

Contact

For Hitachi Green Finance Innovation Challenge related queries, please reach out to

support@apixplatform.com

For technical queries during registration or proposal submission process, please reach out to

support@apixplatform.com