ZHAW Hackathons are hands-on innovation sprints where interdisciplinary student teams work on real-world challenges submitted by partners. You bring the problem—we build the team and co-create bold solutions with real potential.
Collaborate with Us on ZHAW Hackathons
Partner with us to explore bold ideas, connect with emerging talent, and drive innovation through hands-on collaboration.
The ZHAW Hackathons are hands-on innovation formats coordinated by ZHAW entrepreneurship. These dynamic events bring together students, researchers and external partners to co-create early-stage solutions for real-world challenges.
What Are ZHAW Hackathons?
ZHAW Hackathons are fast-paced, hands-on innovation events where interdisciplinary teams of students, researchers and external experts tackle real-world challenges submitted by partner organisations. Either in a compact weekend under time pressure or more self-paced over a period of up to 10 days, participants co-develop early-stage concepts, digital prototypes or fresh approaches - focused on creativity, relevance and practical impact. Each hackathon is unique, but they all share the same essence: intensive teamwork, user-centred solutions, and tangible outcomes.
Why Partner With Us?
As a challenge partner, you provide a current problem statement from your organisation. Our student teams then work intensively to co-create potential solutions—supported by coaches, researchers and proven methods such as design thinking and rapid prototyping.
You’ll remain actively involved throughout the process, sharing feedback and insights to help shape solutions that align with your needs.
What You Can Expect
- New ideas and perspectives: Entrepreneurial student teams bring fresh thinking to your strategic or operational challenge
- Tangible results: Early concepts or prototypes ready for follow-up and further development
- Visibility and positioning: Present your brand and challenge at our final pitch event and across ZHAW communication channels
- Access to talent: Engage with motivated, hands-on students—your potential future collaborators
- Strategic value: Explore new directions in a focused, low-risk setting
Let’s Build Something That Matters
We are currently exploring challenges in the food and health sectors, with room to incorporate digital, sustainable, and societal aspects. This is about open innovation—bringing together diverse perspectives to spark new ideas and develop feasible solutions to real-world challenges.
Let us know your challenge and we find the right fit.
Whether you’re a start-up, SME, corporate, or public organisation—ZHAW Hackathons offer a collaborative space to test ideas, attract new perspectives, and advance your innovation goals. Bring your challenge. We’ll build the team. Let’s co-create practical solutions with real potential.
Partner
