OGC invites developers to the OGC API Hackathon

3 April 2019: The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) invites interested developers to the OGC API Hackathon, held in London on June 20 & 21, 2019.

The most important hackathon in OGC history is coming quickly. This hackathon will test draft OpenAPI-based specifications for features, coverages, map tiles, and processes using a common Application Programming Interface (API) template. The template will be based on the work completed to date on the OGC API - features specification (formerly referred to as WFS3). This event will be instrumental to the evolution of OGC web standards to a modern API-based approach, setting the course for open geospatial standards - in and outside OGC - for the next decade.

The Hackathon will focus on implementing and testing draft API specifications for geospatial information on the web. Emphasis will be placed on making the APIs web-friendly for non-geospatial experts. Links to the draft specifications are in the Hackathon Invitation (see link, below). Optimally, participants will have client, server, or both implementations in advance of the event. Be prepared to update your implementation during the hackathon. Datasets and cloud processing resources are being identified for use in testing during the event. See the Invitation and the Hackathon Initiative Page for more the latest information.

An OGC Hackathon is a collaborative and inclusive event driven by innovative and rapid programming with minimum process and organization constraints to support the development of new applications and open standards.

Ordnance Survey is providing an excellent venue and project management support. The event is planned for June 20 & 21, 2019 at the Geovation Hub in London, UK.

“As a Strategic Member of OGC, Ordnance Survey is pleased to support this effort,” said Simon Green, Head of Data Architecture at Ordnance Survey. “As we look towards the strategic enabling capabilities that cloud-native geospatial processing delivers, we anticipate that the future of geospatial interoperability will be increasingly based upon API’s that are built on Web standards, leveraging the strengths of the World Wide Web. We are honoured to host and facilitate this crucially important hackathon in partnership with OGC, from which we and others can look forward to benefiting from the highly anticipated results.”

There will be opportunity for joint discussion with all participants on the goals and objectives of the event as well as final briefing of findings and opinions of the participants. However, the majority of the time will be spent in collaboration between participants in active coding.

We are seeking organizations to sponsor travel for key Hackathon Participants to attend and participate in the event. For more information on sponsorship opportunities and benefits, contact Scott Simmons [email protected].

For more information on the Hackathon, including venue information, registration requirements, and expected skill sets, visit the OGC API Hackathon event page on OGC’s website, or register on Eventbrite. The Hackathon is open to anyone: OGC membership is not a requirement.