National AI Hackathon 2026 by SchubKI

48 hours, four real industry problems, €3,000 for the winning team in each challenge. The National AI Hackathon runs online from 16 to 21 October 2026, and participation is free.

Each challenge comes from a company that provides its own data and mentors: spectral data from industrial processes, camera footage from an autonomous race car on the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, biological signals and real system logs. You work in a team of two to five and present your solution to a jury of company experts. The total prize pool is €12,000.

The four challenges:

1. AI-based analysis of in-line process spectroscopy (ArtFiberSystems). Extract information about molecular and chemical changes from spectral data to support real-time monitoring of industrial processes. Suited to students of chemistry, process engineering or physics with an interest in machine learning.

2. Camera-based localization on a race track (Constructor Labs). Determine the position and heading of an autonomous race car from onboard cameras only, without GNSS or LiDAR, at racing speed and under motion blur and changing light.

3. Biological signal analysis with machine learning (Constructor Technology). Build models that generalize to unseen data and produce biologically meaningful results despite limited labelled data. Solutions are evaluated on a separate out-of-distribution test set.

4. Making sense of logs (SereneDB). Turn the same log data into answers for different roles: the root cause for an engineer, recurring problems for a team lead, risks and priorities for a manager. This challenge is also open to Bachelor's students.

Teams are forming now. After registering, you join our Discord, where participants find teammates and agree on a challenge before the start. Register early to choose your team rather than join whichever one is left.

Schedule: opening ceremony on Friday, 16 October, at 18:00. Building on 17 and 18 October, submission by Sunday, 18 October, 23:59. Jury review on 19 and 20 October, results on Wednesday, 21 October.

Language: English.

Register by 14 October 2026: https://schubki.com/hackathons/national-ai-hackathon-2026?utm_source=stellenticket

Our technology, community, marketing and academic partners include Kora (AWS), Joinee, Pikobara Wien, SereneDB, BEST Aachen, BEST Karlsruhe, BEST Erlangen, KIT, Constructor University Bremen, Munich Business School, GründungsMagnet, UnternehmerTUM and a growing network of universities and student organizations.

Participation is free of charge. Open to Master's students, PhD candidates, researchers and graduates from 2022 onwards; Bachelor's students can join the SereneDB challenge. Teams of two to five people. You can also register alone and find teammates on our Discord before the start.

Real industry problems with company data and mentors, and a total prize pool of €12,000 (€3,000 for the winning team in each of the four challenges). Your work is reviewed by a jury of company experts.

Beyond the prizes:

• A certificate of participation on request.
• A feedback from a jury of company experts
• Your team's solution can be published as a use case on the SchubKI platform.
• The best teams receive further support on the SchubKI platform in finding their first real-world customers.
• Visibility for the future, both for aspiring startup founders and for strong talent looking for PhD programmes or career opportunities.
• Early access to all future hackathons on the SchubKI platform.

Register by 14 October 2026, 23:59: https://schubki.com/hackathons/national-ai-hackathon-2026?utm_source=stellenticket
Questions: team@schubki.com