H.A.C.2026 🛫
COMPETITION REGULATIONS
1. General Framework
HackTech Airport Chapter is an elite deep-tech hackathon dedicated to the airport industry. The mission is to develop functional Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) that tackle real-world challenges within critical infrastructure, security, and passenger experience.
2. Eligibility & Team Formation
- Composition: Teams must consist of 3 to 6 members.
- Multidisciplinary Roles: We strongly recommend balanced teams (e.g., 1 Software Developer, 1 Hardware/Security Specialist, 1 UX Designer, 1 Business/Product Lead).
- Independence: Participants may register individually (facilitated by our Team Formation session on Friday) or as pre-formed teams.
- The “Head Start” Rule: We value continuous innovation; therefore, we accept projects already in progress. However, to reward raw effort and grit, newly formed teams and projects built from scratch during the hackathon will receive “New Build” (5) bonus points. Startups with existing technology that are adapting it for airport use cases will not be categorized as a ‘New Build’. Open-source libraries and APIs are fully permitted.
3. The Challenges
The competition is built on three strategic pillars/categories. Teams must commit to one specific challenge during final submission:
🛡️ Airport Defense & Security
Threat detection, perimeter safety, and automation.
- Automatic Hazard Detection (FOD, Drones, Perimeter Breaches).
🏗️ Airport Infrastructure
Operational efficiency and predictive maintenance.
- Predicting Runway Grip | Securing Critical Machinery | Disruption Copilot | Resource Planner Overlay | Passenger Flow Predictor | Airport Data Hub | AI-Native AODB (Airport Operations DataBase).
✨ Airport UX (Passenger Experience)
Frictionless travel, retail, and digital identity.
- Measuring Passenger Satisfaction | Effortless Indoor Navigation | The Future of Airport Shopping | The Digital Passenger Ally | Portable Digital Identity.
Custom Solutions: Teams may propose their own unique challenge. This requires official approval from the organizers via a dedicated Request Form, and will be added in a challenge category.
4. Submissions & Technical Requirements
To qualify for judging, projects must be uploaded to the designated platform (Devpost/GitHub/Project Portal) by Sunday, 13:00, including:
- Project Pitch: A concise problem-solution overview.
- Proof of Concept: A demo video or live link proving functionality is required (for hardware projects, data sheets, technical specifications, or 3D prototype simulations are also accepted).
- Technical Stack: A full list of technologies and frameworks used.
- Code Repository: Source code access for technical validation.
5. Judging Process: The Demo Fair
Judging begins Sunday at 14:00 in a high-energy “Demo Fair” format:
- Category Juries: Three specialized juries will rotate through the workstations of their respective categories.
- Individual Scoring: Jury members assign points individually. These are summed at the end to provide a final score out of a maximum of 150 points (50 points per judge).
- Minimum Thresholds: To maintain the prestige of the awards, a minimum score is required to win a category. If no team meets this threshold, no winner will be declared for that specific category.
- Tie-Breaking: In the event of a tie, the Category Lead Judge will make the final decision. All decisions are final. The Top 3 ranking for each category will be made public.
- Engagement: Teams have 10 minutes at their desk to pitch and demo their solution.
- Presence: While participants are encouraged to visit other booths, at least one member must remain at the workstation at all times for the judges.
- In the event that only one team is registered in a category, they must still achieve a score equal to or higher than the category’s minimum threshold to be declared the winner.
6. Judging Criteria
🛡️ Category: Airport Defense & Security
Minimum Score to Win: 90 / 150
- Reliability & Accuracy: Precision in risk detection and minimization of false positives/negatives. (15 pts)
- Operational Impact: Ability to function without disrupting live airport workflows. (10 pts)
- Tech Innovation: Use of advanced AI/ML for emerging threats. (10 pts)
- Scalability: Global implementation potential and cyber-resilience. (10 pts)
🏗️ Category: Airport Infrastructure
Minimum Score to Win: 105 / 150
- Operational Efficiency: Optimization of existing assets (runways, machinery, staff). (10 pts)
- Interoperability: Integration with current airport ecosystems (IoT, AODB). (10 pts)
- Technical Viability: Architectural robustness and Big Data readiness. (15 pts)
- Weekend Progress: The volume of functional code/hardware built during the sprint. (Max 10 pts)
✨ Category: Airport UX
Minimum Score to Win: 120 / 150
- Frictionless Experience: Reduction of passenger effort, stress, and wait times. (Max 10 pts)
- Design Quality (UI/UX): Intuitiveness, accessibility, and visual sophistication. (Max 10 pts)
- “Wow” Factor: A fresh, original perspective on the passenger journey. (Max 10 pts)
- Proof of Validation: Effectively solving the real-world satisfaction gap. (Max 15 pts)
🏆 Common Criteria (Applied to All Categories)
These points are added to your category score by each judge:
- Pitch & Communication: Clarity, storytelling, and impact of the presentation. (5 pts)
- “New Build” Bonus: Extra points for teams formed and projects started entirely at the event. (5 pts)
7. Awards
- Category Winners: One winner per category (3 Main Prizes). Each prize is €3,000 (distributed per team).
- Bright Labs Special Prize: A €1,000 award chosen exclusively by the Bright Labs team. This award cannot be combined with any other awards.
- Announcement: Winners will be crowned during the Closing Ceremony on Sunday.
- Note: Prize distribution is subject to the completion of mandatory legal and tax documentation.
For any questions please contact:
Make IT in Oradea
Email: hi@makeitinoradea.ro