World Engineering Day
for Sustainable
Development 2026
WFEO Hackathon

Join engineers worldwide to innovate a sustainable future for all!

About the WFEO Hackathon

2026 Theme

The World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) Hackathon is a key celebration of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, bringing together engineering students and young engineers from around the world to solve real-world challenges. It is the largest international competition for engineering students globally.

Participants collaborate across disciplines to design solutions that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), harnessing engineering, innovation, and emergent digital technologies to drive social progress and environmental sustainability.

SMART ENGINEERING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION AND DIGITALISATION

The 2026 Hackathon focuses on SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and fostering innovation and digitalisation.

Additionally, each if the three challenges will focus on one of:

Challenge 1: SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities– Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Challenge 2: SDG 12: “Responsible consumption and production – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Challenge 3: SDG 14: Life below water and SDG 15: Life on land – Engineering solutions to protect our waterways and oceans, our forests and our lands

From smarter cities and cleaner energy systems to responsible consumption and protecting our waterways and green spaces, we look forward to innovative engineering solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

Event Details

Hackathon Challenges Released: January 12^th 2026

Hackathon solutions submission: January 26^th 2026, 5pm CET

Winner Announced: March 4^th2026 – World Engineering Day

Format: Virtual, global event

Team Size: 2–6 members

Why Join

Make an Impact
Use your engineering knowledge and skills to tackle real-world issues — from digital access to sustainable infrastructure.

Grow Your Network
Collaborate with engineers, mentors, and innovators from around the globe.

Boost Your Skills
Gain hands-on experience in digital solutions design, innovation, and teamwork.

Earn Global Recognition
Compete on an international stage and have your work featured as part of the 2026 World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development celebrations.

Win Cash Prizes
Top teams will receive cash prizes, recognition, mentoring opportunities, and global exposure through partner organisations.

Register here

How It Works

Simple 5 – Step Process:

Register – Sign up as an individual.
Form a Team – Connect with other participants in your university or around the world.
Ideate – Collaborate to design an innovative solution for one of our hackathon challenges (released on January 12th) aligned with SDG 9.
Pitch – Present your idea in a video format to an international judging panel.
Win – Gain recognition, prizes, and global exposure.

Who Can Join:

Open to engineering students, currently enrolled in an engineering education institution, anywhere in the world, and students from engineering-related disciplines who are passionate about innovation and creativity.

Team formation

Teams typically consist of 3-5 members and are formed offline, at your school or university.
2. The Hackathon is open to individuals who are studying for an engineering qualification. This may be a professional engineering degree (typically a 4-year program and the Bachelor’s Degree level or more advanced at the Masters or PhD level), a technologist qualification (typically a 3-year program) or a technician qualification (typically a 2-year program). Post doctoral fellows are not eligible to apply.
3. The majority of team members in a group must have an engineering background.
4. If you do not have a team in mind, you can check out this Facebook group – dedicated to helping people form teams.
5. You will have to provide details about each team member, including contact details and a team photo, during the submission process.

Areas of Innovation

Join us for a Hackathon like no other, where you can use your skills to show how engineering advances the UN Sustainable development Goals and:

Design and build smarter urban systems for a livable, sustainable future
Innovate ways to use and reuse resources responsibly
Create solutions that empower communities and protect the environment both on water and on land.

Organisers & Partners

Proudly hosted by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) with the support of UNESCO and in partnership with Engineers Without Borders.

Ready to Innovate Your Future?

Join the global community of engineers, students, and innovators shaping a sustainable world through smart engineering and digitalisation.

Judging criteria

The Judging Criteria are based on the International Engineering Alliance Global Graduate Attribute and Professional Competencies Profiles that underpin the requirements for engineering education qualifications for more than 30 nations around the world.

Each entry will be judged on five criteria:

1. Application of engineering knowledge

How well the team has used its engineering knowledge and skill in developing a solution and the thoroughness with which the problem has been researched and analyzed.

2. Originality

How effectively the solution approaches the challenge in a unique and innovative way. Teams are judged on the level of inventiveness in their solution, including using new and emerging technologies.

3. Use of digital tools and new technologies

The extent to which digital tools, such as AI, computer modeling, Computer Aided Design and Drawing, and 3D printing, have been used to design, develop and demonstrate the solution.

4. Contribution to the UN SDGs

The extent to which the solution advances one or more of the UN SDGs and addresses broad ethical issues, in terms of the solution’s impact on the environment, different sections of society and the economy. Teams are judged on how effectively these concerns have been addressed, by mitigating adverse impacts and enhancing positive impacts.

5. Successful collaboration

How effectively the team has collaborated to develop their solution. Teams are judged on effective communication of the solution, successful project management, financial analysis of the feasibility of implementing the solution and plans for its further development.

FAQs

How do we upload our submission?

This competition utilizes a digital Submission Portal where users can submit their entries. You can access this site via the “Submit Now” links on the page but only once the challenges have been announced.

Are only university students allowed to participate?

Yes, the Hackathon is aimed at engineering students currently enrolled in an engineering education course anywhere in the world, and students from engineering-related disciplines.

This includes students attending university or recent graduates – whether at Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD level – as well as vocational education courses, technical colleges, polytechnics, etc. Post-doctoral fellow who are working in universities are not eligible to participate.

Does the team have to be all from the same university/school?

No, we can accept teams which are made up of a number of universities/institutions.

When will the finalists be announced?

The top 10 Finalists will be announced on February 6, 2026. The winning entries will be announced on March 4, 2026.

Is there any cost to participate?

No, the WFEO World Engineering Day Hackathon is completely free to enter.

When will we receive the challenges?

The challenges will be released on this website on January 12, 2026.

When does the registration period end?

Registrations close on 26 January 2026. All team members must be registered when submissions close on 26 January at 5pm CET.

What is the maximum number of participants allowed per team?

Teams are to be made up of 3–5 students, with a majority being engineering students .

How should my entry be presented?

Your submission must include: a 5-minute video; a photo of your team; and a short accompanying text about your solution. The written element must be in English. The video element can be recorded in any language, but must have English subtitles. Further details will be shared when the challenges are released.

Can we see an example of the winning case solution from the previous year?

The three winning entries from 2025 are available on the World Engineering Day website.

What is the WFEO?

The World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) is the global organization for professional engineering institutions. Founded in 1968, under the auspices of UNESCO, WFEO brings together national professional engineering institutions from some 100 nations and represents more than 30 million engineers. WFEO created the World Engineering Day Hackathon as part of the celebration for World Engineering Day.

What is World Engineering Day?

The World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) is an official International Day proclaimed in 2019 by UNESCO. Held annually on March 4, WED is an opportunity to celebrate engineering and the contribution of the world’s engineers for a better, more sustainable world.

Get Inspired

View last year’s winners

1st Place: ManufacturingBox

2nd Place: ECO BEADa

3rd Place: Smart Irrigation Monitoring System (SIMS)

Additional guidance for your solution:

The judges are seeing an innovative solution that addresses one of the Challenges. They are also interested in understanding how you developed your solution. This requires developing a video that shows how you developed your idea or concept, how you worked together as a team, how you tested your idea, and built your solution where needed, and how as a team you think it can work in the real world. We also want to understand how you used your engineering skills to develop the solution.

Don’t forget to mention the specific UN Sustainable Development Goals that are addressed by your solution!

Powerpoint presentations of an idea or concept only will receive low marks. We want you to be active in developing an innovative solution as a team. Your solution should also be an original idea that you have developed during the Hackathon period.

We want your submissions to be engaging, inspiring and fun!

Examples of winning submissions from 2024, 2023 and 2022 are below.