Urbis Challenge Hackateen 2025

URBIS Challenge HackaTEEN is a competition that connects young people with Smart Cities and the current challenges of today's cities. A Smart City is an inclusive modern environment in which the involvement and activity of all community actors play an indispensable role in its development. We want to promote youth participation and the development of soft skills among young people, motivate them to actively participate in various initiatives, and highlight the importance of their opinions. It is important that young people feel that their voice has weight at an early age, which will help them in their personal growth and in their ability to influence the world around them.

The purpose of the event was to awaken young people's interest in innovation, technology, and sustainability, and to inspire them to think about smart solutions that can positively impact the quality of life in their communities.

The event took place on 10 June from 10:00 to 11 June until 17:00 in kongresak. space and VIDA Science Centre at the Brno Exhibition Centre, where teams formed from student parliaments of elementary and secondary schools from all over the Czech Republic gathered.

The Urbis Challenge HackaTEEN 2025 presented a unique opportunity for students not only to compete but above all to acquire important knowledge on topics related to the SMART CITIES concept, the functioning of smart cities, and to learn how to apply them in the local context. They gained valuable experience in creative work, developed their skills, and connected theory with practice. The event also contributed to raising awareness of STEM technical education.

The second year of HackaTEEN confirmed that young people not only have original ideas but also the courage and energy to tackle the complex problems that plague cities today and in the future. 2nd place went to the Jihogympláci team from the Gymnasium Český Krumlov with their idea for smart pavements made of piezoelectric tiles that generate electricity when stepped on.

More information can be found at mladezprokraj.eu.

The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, Brno University of Technology, and the Rector of BUT doc. Ing. Ladislav Janicek, Ph.D., MBA, LL.M.

Many thanks to the partners of HackaTEEN - Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MEST), Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Brno University of Technology, Thermo Fisher Scientific, VIDA Science Centre Brno, URBIS The Smart Cities Meetup and JINAG.