thws Hackathon "InclusivAI": Submit a Challenge

Your Challenge – our Solution

Topics & Target Audience

  • Target Audience: 
    Companies, public institutions, educational providers, social organizations, clubs, and initiatives working to advance diversity, inclusion, and social participation.

  • Topics:
    Tasks and challenges that AI can help solve to make things more inclusive, accessible, or equitable. 
    For example: digital and physical accessibility, inclusive education and workplaces, clear and multilingual communication, intercultural exchange, and social and digital participation for diverse groups. Possible directions include assistive systems, low-barrier information services, AI-supported translation, tools for detecting and reducing bias, and new approaches to equal opportunity.


Your Benefits

  • Solutions in real time
  • Interdisciplinary teams develop AI approaches tailored to your specific challenge
  • Direct exchange with motivated talent from AI, computer science, social sciences, and other fields
  • Fresh perspectives on existing barriers, processes, and societal challenges
  • New impulses for more diversity, accessibility, and participation

Challenge Submission: How to

  1. Submit your challenge
    
Describe a specific problem from your professional context that requires an AI-based solution.

  2. Guidelines & tips

    Here you will receive guidance on the appropriate scope and how to formulate your challenge effectively.

  3. Submission
    
Complete the Hackathon Formular and send it to cairo[at]thws.de
    Submission Deadline: 20 September 2026

  4. Review & feedback
    After evaluation, you will receive feedback on your submitted challenge. (Latest until 27 September)

  5. Prepare a short video briefing

    Once your challenge is accepted, we ask you to record a short video introducing your challenge.
 In this video, you should explain the key aspects so that teams can start working immediately in the morning. This includes:
    • What the challenge is about
    • The problem to be solved
    • Relevant requirements and goals

You can find tips on creating the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-V_uigQf8

The video will be shown at the beginning of the event, as challenge providers will join later (at 12:00) in the day.

On-site interaction

During the event, you will join the teams, answer questions, and provide domain-specific input.

Important Deadlines

  • All submitted challenges will be collated and then reviewed.
  • Deadline for challenge submission: 20 September 2026
  • Feedback on submitted challenges: by 27 September 2026 at the latest

  • Language of challenge submissions: preferably English (as the hackathon will be held in English)
  • The final presentation video for the challenge must be produced in English!
  • Please send us the link to the video by October 22, 2026.