September 12, 2019 (Tokyo, Japan) – With the theme of “Revolutionize EdTech with Digital Ink”, Wacom will host ”Inkathon™ (Ink + Hackathon)”, an open innovation platform for the development of unique apps for educational purposes. EdTech is an emerging concept as education is poised to evolve dramatically, driven by the power of information technology.
”Inkathon™” will kick off on September 17 with an initial “Meet-up” held in Tokyo, gathering aspiring app developers from Japan and Asia.
Participating developers will receive a brief on the challenges that current approaches to education face from EdTech pioneers, Mr. Masahiro Sato, Professor, Digital Hollywood Graduate University and Mr. Kazuya Takahashi, Vice Principal, Junior and Senior High School of Kogakuin University as well as Mr. Daiki Enomoto from LITALICO. Participating developers will be requested to solve these by applying Wacom’s digital ink technology “WILL™ (Wacom Ink Layer Language)” to the development of unique and innovative apps. Wacom’s President & CEO, Nobu Ide, will also share his vision for the Inkathon™ this year.
Details of Inkathon™
Official Website： https://inkathon.bemyapp.com
Theme of event： “Inkathon™ - Revolutionize EdTech with Digital Ink”
Meet-up： 14:00-17:00,Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Sponsor： Wacom Co., Limited
Co-sponsors： Microsoft Corporation and BIC®
Application Period： Until October 15, 2019
Qualification Requirements： Start-ups, app developers and groups of students, freelancers and enthusiastic innovators who are willing to develop new handwriting apps using WILL™
Registration： https://inkathon.bemyapp.com
Selection Process： Mentoring will be provided for developers. Apps will be examined by a panel of judges
◆Mid October… Apps submitted by developers
◆End October… The panel of judges shortlists apps for final pitch
◆November 4… Final pitch session at “Edvation × Summit 2019,” the largest EdTech event in Japan and APAC
Prizes： 1st prize (US $12,000), 2nd prize (US $8,000), 3rd prize (US $5,000)
◆Prize-winning apps will be presented at Connected Ink Tokyo, the digital pen, ink and stationery event to be held on Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Handwriting is believed to play a significant role in human development by facilitating better understanding and memorization of subject. It also contributes to reading, writing and spelling, interpretative and problem solving skills, as well as enhancing artistic and creative qualities. Therefore, the act of handwriting (with pen and ink) is inseparable from education.
This open innovation platform seeks to drive the evolution of EdTech that enables and enhances connection and interactivity between teachers and students during study hours, introducing innovative approaches to collaborartion and information sharing, as well as analysis of study process and behaviors. With the adoption of WILL™ technology by Wacom, developers are called upon to create unique and innovative apps to address challenges and opportunities in these areas.
About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom is a global company based in Japan with subsidiaries and affiliate offices around the world to support marketing and distribution in over 150 countries and areas. It is the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays, and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom’s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world and provides business and home users with their leading interface technology to express their personality. The company also offers its products as OEM solutions to leading manufacturers serving incremental markets. Wacom’s interface technology, called Wacom Feel IT technologies, is also offered as an integrated solution to strategic partners. Most tablet device and PC manufacturers count on the advanced features and reliability to deliver a superior user interface experience.
*Wacom, WILL, Feel are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Wacom Co., Ltd.
*All other trademarks and product names are property of their respective companies
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications, Wacom Co., Ltd
Wacom-pr@wacom.co.jp
+81-3-5337-6702
Technology Solution Business Unit, Wacom Co., Ltd
Email: comp-info-jp@wacom.co.jp