OpenUK, UN Announce Data Centre Open Source Challenge

OpenUK, a non-profit organization representing the United Kingdom's open technology sector, has partnered with the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) for an innovative open source initiative: the Data Centre Open Source Challenge.  

The challenge, hosted on the Unite Ideas platform invites a diverse community of contributors to submit open source solutions that will pave the way for carbon-negative data centres. The deadline for submissions is 10 November 2023. 

Solutions can encompass the following: 

• Heat redirection: Develop an open source software solution to monitor and redirect heat produced in data centres. 
• Building repurposing: Create an open source tool to better re-evaluate urban spaces, finding brownfield sites that can be re-used for data centres. 
• Heat reuse: Utilize statistical analysis of open datasets to identify areas to repurpose waste - heat.  
• Circular supply chain: Build an open source software solution that manages the lifecycle of critical data centre components.  
• Blueprint evolution: Analyze the data from Patchwork Kilt for insights into how to supercharge global sustainability efforts.  
• Community empowerment: Provide communities with actionable insights from data centres that can be used to build more sustainable cities.

The collaboration between OpenUK and OICT aims to further the commitments made at COP26. 

The challenge winner will be invited to celebrate their success at OpenUK’s State of Open Con 24 on 6-7 February 2024. They will be given an opportunity to do a short presentation on their contribution and OpenUK will cover the cost of their ticket, accommodation and an economy flight. 

For additional information and details, please visit the Data Centre Open Source Challenge page: https://ideas.unite.un.org/datacentreos/Page/Overview