Roche hackathon for SMA looks at💙 Innovation with empathy and societal responsibility.
I know some of you are wondering what is SMA?
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition that affects the nerve cells controlling muscle movement. Over time, it causes muscles to weaken, making everyday things like walking, lifting a cup, typing, or even breathing, harder and harder.
Behind every medical term, though, are real people. Children who need to find new ways to play. Adults who keep redefining their independence. Families and caregivers who turn creativity into care every single day. That’s what makes SMA both a challenge and an inspiration. It’s a story of constant problem-solving, resilience, and adaptation.
And this is exactly where innovation can be truly human.
You don’t have to be a healthcare professional to make an impact on peoples lives you just need curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to put yourself in their shoes to solve real problems.
That’s what LIFE HACKS: Creating Solutions for Daily SMA Challenges is all about.
Together with mentors, innovators, and people living with SMA, we will look for and co-create simple, meaningful solutions from smart assistive tools to digital ideas that makes their daily life easier and give them back some of independency.
Join us and let’s create new stories together.
🧠 22–23 November | Ljubljana
💰 Prizes: 3,000€ / 2,400€ / 1,500€
📝 Apply by 19 November
👉 https://transformation-lighthouse.com/roche-hackathon-sma/
Because innovation doesn’t start in a lab, it starts with empathy, collaboration, and a little bit of courage to make life better. 💙
Requirements
🧩 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘
Living with SMA comes with daily challenges that often go unnoticed, from mobility and communication to caregiving and independence.
Your mission?
To design simple, achivable, and meaningful solutions that can improve the quality of life for individuals with SMA and their families.
Whether it’s a smart assistive device, a new digital tool, a service model, or something completely unexpected, if it makes a difference, it belongs here.
We’ll explore questions like:
💡 How can technology support caregivers in everyday routines?
💬 How can communication between patients, healthcare providers, and families become easier?
🚀 How can we enable more independence, social participation, and dignity for people living with SMA?
🌟 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡
Because innovation isn’t just about technology, it’s about desire to make a change, help, have courage, and take action.
At LIFE HACKS, you’ll:
✅ Co-create with people who live SMA every day
✅ Get access to world-class mentors from Roche and health innovation experts
✅ Build something that might be of actual help to SMA
✅ Be part of something that truly matters
And yes, we’ll make sure it’s fun, fast, and full of energy.
🧠 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡
This hackathon is open to:
👩💻 Students & early innovators
🎨 Designers & makers
🏥 Healthcare professionals
🤝 Caregivers & SMA advocates
🌍 Anyone passionate about tech for good
No previous experience with healthcare projects needed just curiosity, creativity, and the will to make an impact.
Prizes
First place
Second place
Third place
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Urška Jež
Transformation Lighthouse CEO
Judging Criteria
-
TBD
Will shared at the event.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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