The hackathon is a two-phase biannual competition designed for students and young professionals to work in cross-disciplinary teams to create technology-driven solutions for the most pressing humanitarian challenges around specific UN SDGs. Participants will be asked to identify practical solutions for real and current problems from their home country. This will allow participants to build their teamwork skills and network with like-minded students and young professionals from across Region 8.
Participants will be encouraged to select a real-world humanitarian problem and develop technology-driven solutions. Submissions are comprised of a short proposal showing evidence of how each solution could be achieved. A short video encapsulating the essence of a student’s idea will be recommended. Participating in the Hackathon Finals helps participants build presentation and problem-solving skills and expand their network.
Team Registration Deadline: April 18
Format
The hackathon will be conducted over two phases:
Phase 1: Virtual
During the first phase, the interested members will register their teams and submit their solutions to the challenges. During this phase, a basic training on how to build your idea pitching will be offered to accepted teams.
All activities in this phase will be held virtually.
Phase 2: In-Person
The teams with the best 5 ideas from the first phase will be invited to pitch their ideas in person during the IEEE Region 8 SYP Congress. The hackathon will include a workshop related to humanitarian technologies. More details will be announced before the event.
Challenges
The teams will be asked to propose solutions that can be implemented through a 6-month project, focusing on the following challenges:
- Agricultural Technology (SDG 2)
- Develop agriculture‑technology solutions that increase smallholder farmers’ productivity and income while strengthening sustainable, climate‑resilient farming systems.
- Technology to facilitate and promote education (SDG 4)
- Develop technology that expands access to quality and inclusive learning, strengthens digital skills for all learners, and supports the development of relevant technical and vocational skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
- ICT & Digital Connectivity (SDG 9)
- Using ICT, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes
- Technology to Reduce Waste (SDG 12)
- Develop technology that reduces waste by improving resource efficiency, promoting sustainable consumption, and enabling systems that minimise, recover, or prevent waste across the production and consumption cycle.
The proposed solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Effectiveness & Collaboration
- Innovation & Originality
- Sustainability (maintaining the project) & Finance
- Presentation
Participation Eligibility
- The only requirement is to have an amazing idea!
- Students, Graduate Students, and Young Professionals from Region 8 Only [Middle East, Africa and Europe] can participate.
- Participants should be in teams of 2-4 members.
- At least one of the team members must be a SIGHT member
- 2nd Phase teams must have at least one member registered for the IEEE R8 SYP Congress.
- Each team must be linked to one OU (SIGHT Group / Section / Student Branch).
- Each team can submit solutions to all the different challenges, but only the best one counts.
- One representative per team should register and fill in the details of other team members.
Winning Rewards
The best five (5) solutions are expected to be presented during the Hackathon Day in-person during the IEEE R8 SYP Congress! The committee will fund one member of the finalist teams to attend the in-person activities on a reimbursement basis. Attending the hackathon and all HTAC activities during the SYP will be mandatory to receive the reimbursement. The top five teams participating in person will receive certificates.
The affiliated OUs of the best three (3) teams will be granted seed funding to host humanitarian technologies and sustainable development activities. Special seed funding rewards may be granted to the best solutions for each challenge. More details about winning rewards will be provided closer to the Hackathon Day!
Important Dates
- Registration deadline: 18 April, 2026
- Notification of qualified teams: 24 April, 2026
- Training of qualified teams: between 4 and 11 May 2026
- Solutions and ideas submission deadline: 24 May, 2026
- Finalists announcement: 30 May, 2026
- Participation confirmation: 22 June, 2026
- Hackathon Day: During IEEE Region 8 SYP (20-24 July 2026) in Krakow, Poland. The exact day of the Hackathon will be released closer to the congress.