Bridging innovation and sustainability at FEIT's Hackathon Festival 2023

The inaugural FEIT Hackathon Festival, aptly named "Hack The Gap: Where Sustainability Meets Technology," unfolded as a resounding success. With over 140 students participating from across the Faculty, the atmosphere was electric as participants immersed themselves in the challenges presented by the Hackathon.

The festival was a vibrant hub of creativity and collaboration, with everything from coding marathons to problem-solving sessions. The festival's heart was its multidisciplinary approach, with students forming 35 teams to tackle industry challenges head-on. This fusion of diverse perspectives resulted in the creation of truly innovative solutions that demonstrated the power of collaboration and technological prowess.

The festival was more than hackathon challenges; it was an all-round experience for the attendees. Skill development workshops, industry mentoring sessions, insightful speaker presentations, and a lively social mixer all contributed to an immersive learning and networking environment.

The generous contribution of 28 mentors from industry and the University was critical to the event's success. Their advice was crucial in shaping the ideas and solutions that emerged from the hackathon.

Recognising the participants' outstanding efforts, the top three teams were awarded monetary prizes, with a total prize pool of $11,000. Aside from the cash prizes, all participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in Sustainability Advocacy, and upon successful completion, they received a verified digital credential from Melbourne Plus.

Overall Hackathon champions:

  • 1st Place $6,000 - Brogrammer Brigade: Timothy Bunnage, Kevin Wu, Yuhao Chen, Patrick Han and Harry Zhou.
  • 2nd Place $3,000 - Environmental Hacktivists: Nieve Powell, Anke Oatley and Oscar Faulkner.
  • 3rd Place $2,000 - Grid Wizards: Keigo Nagai, Trevor Adelson, Bowen Song, Sumedh Vartak and Ben Salter.

Hardware prize winners:

  • Most Innovative Problem Solver - Apple iPhone 14 Plus Purple: Nieve Powell.
  • Best Team Player - Samsung Galaxy S23+ Black: Jin Weng.
  • Biggest Impact on Others Award - Samsung Tab S8 Ultra Black: Jia Ee Eng.
  • Airwallex's Most Aesthetic Project - Wacom Tablets: Feliciana Lentini, Shinta Ayu Chandra Kemala, Wei Liang Lee, Muhammad Aditya Hilmy and Eunico Cornelius.
  • Best Use of Data Award - Sony WH-CH520 Wireless On-Ear Headphones: Yifan Gong, Yueming Wang, Yiming Long and Ziqi Wang.
  • Weirdest/Most Unusual Technology - AWX merch pack: Leandro Lim, Yannei Xu, Hiu Wah Lam, YuCheng Chien and Zilin Chen.

The Faculty expresses its heartfelt gratitude to major sponsors Airwallex and Telstra, whose assistance was significant in bringing the festival to life. In addition, Melbourne Connect tenants Atmos and 4D Medical were recognised for their generous support, which added an extra layer of success to the event.

The festival not only bridged gaps between technology and sustainability; it also paved the way for a new generation of engineers and information technology professionals prepared to face future challenges.