Innovative Hackathon "Shape Your City": Students Develop Ideas for Smart Cities

From 26 to 28 June 2025, the "Shape Your City" Hackathon will take place in Paderborn – an interdisciplinary event where students, researchers, and experts collaborate to develop innovative solutions for smart and sustainable urban development. Participants will explore key challenges in city planning, using the Zukunftsquartier – a new district on the site of the former British barracks – as a case study.

The Hackathon is organized by students from the international University Alliance COLOURS in collaboration with Paderborn University and other regional partners. Over an intensive weekend, participants will tackle pressing urban challenges, with a focus on sustainable mobility, renewable energy, intelligent infrastructure, and intergenerational living.

The event is open to students from all disciplines as well as local stakeholders from academia, industry, and administration, who are invited to contribute their expertise and perspectives. The goal is to develop innovative, practical solutions that offer new impulses for smart city development. In addition to hands-on collaboration, the Hackathon provides valuable networking opportunities and inspiring keynote speeches from experts in urban planning, architecture, and sustainability.

The Hackathon will take place at the Akzelerator of Garage33, the start-up center of Paderborn University. Online registration will open soon – more details to follow.