Do you want to give students the opportunity to change the world around them? HackaTEEN is an annual two-day student hackathon held in June as part of the URBIS – The Smart Cities Meetup fair. Here, students work in teams to design innovative solutions to current challenges facing cities and municipalities, ranging from climate change and energy to public participation and the use of data and artificial intelligence. The event fosters creativity, teamwork, presentation skills, and the ability to solve real-world problems, while also connecting young people with experts in the field.
HackaTEEN is a competition that connects young people with Smart Cities and the challenges they face. A Smart City is an inclusive, modern environment in which the involvement and active participation of all community members play an irreplaceable role in its development. We want to support youth participation and the development of soft skills among young people, motivate them to actively engage in various initiatives, and emphasize the importance of their opinions. It is important for young people to feel, even at an early age, that their voices matter, which will support their personal growth and their ability to influence the world around them.
The purpose of the event was to spark young people’s interest in innovation, technology, and sustainability, and to inspire them to develop smart solutions that can improve the quality of life in their communities.
The competition is held annually as part of the URBIS trade fair, which brings together teams made up of student councils from elementary and secondary schools across the Czech Republic.
HackaTEEN offers students a unique opportunity not only to compete but, above all, to gain important knowledge about the SMART CITIES concept and how smart cities function, and to learn how to apply this knowledge in a local context. They gained valuable experience in creative work, developed their skills, and bridged the gap between theory and practice. The event also helps raise awareness of STEM fields.
In November 2026, the top five teams from this year’s competition will participate in the Czech-Spanish HackaTEEN, which will take place during the international Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. Preparations for HackaTEEN 2027 are currently underway.
| Project name | HackaTEEN |
| Grant provider | South Moravian Region and partners participating in the current edition |
| Project coordinator | JINAG |
| Implementation period | every June |
| 11th November 2024 |
1st Annual Hackateen: Youth for the Region https://www.mladezprokraj.eu/minul%C3%A9-ro%C4%8Dn%C3%ADky/2024-hackateen |
| 10th-11th June 2025 |
2nd Annual URBIS CHALLENGE HACKATEEN https://www.mladezprokraj.eu/minul%C3%A9-ro%C4%8Dn%C3%ADky/2025-urbis-challenge-hackateen-2025 |
| 2th-3th June 2026 |
3rd Annual URBIS CHALLENGE HACKATEEN |
Agency Director and Head of the Participation Team