IOT Data Hackathon 2026 Winners Announced MTR Newcomers Score Triple Victory; MUHK Team Sweeps Four Awards

HONG KONG, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Organised by GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK), co-organised by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and supported by the Digital Policy Office, the IOT Data Hackathon 2026 held its Award Ceremony today (on 16 April) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during InnoEX 2026. Bringing together industry leaders, academics and innovators, the ceremony marked the highlight of a nearly 3-month journey of data‑driven innovation.

Record-Breaking Participation

5 Challenge Providers, 163 Competing Teams

Now in its third edition, the IOT Data Hackathon received an unprecedented response, attracting over 160 teams from local tertiary institutions, tech startups, and diverse backgrounds – the highest participation since its launch. Centred on the themes of "Technology & Business Innovation" and "Social Impact & Sustainability", the Hackathon featured both Student and Professional Streams.

Five challenge providers – AS Watsons Industries, Cobalt Fashion (Hong Kong), DFI Retail Group – Mannings, HKT, and The Hong Kong Council of Social Service & Jockey Club "age at home" Gerontech Education and Rental Service – put forward real operational challenges and business data spanning retail logistics, supply chains, low‑altitude economy and elderly care services. After rigorous evaluation and intense competition, 24 outstanding teams advanced to the finals to turn bold ideas into practical, data‑powered solutions ready for real‑world deployment.

Exploring How Data and AI Shape the Future Economy

The Award Ceremony kicked off with a high-level discussion panel titled "Building the Future Economy with Data and AI", where leading industry experts unpacked how data and AI are fast becoming the driving forces behind digital transformation and industry evolution.

Momentum surged as the awards presentation took centre stage. After months of hard work, six exceptional teams emerged as top performers, collectively winning 12 awards. Winning teams shared their solutions on stage, demonstrating how data and AI can move beyond concepts and labs to deliver tangible improvements — enhancing lives, strengthening industries and energising Hong Kong's innovation ecosystem.

The Biggest Winner: MUHK Team Sweeps Four Awards in Student Stream

De-Buggers stole the spotlight in the Student Stream, clinching four major awards — Student Stream Champion, Best ESG Achievement Award, Best Use of AI Award, and Innovator of Secure by Design– setting a new benchmark at this year's Hackathon. The six‑member team, all Year Two students from Hong Kong Metropolitan University, majoring in Computer Science and Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, impressed the judges with their solution "Supply Chain System: From Predicting Risks to Automated Responses". Powered by AI, the system integrates container, order, and warehouse data into a dashboard, combined with real-time weather information and shipping news, enabling instant visibility into critical risks and informed decision‑making.

The First Runner-up, Elevenators, is a five‑member team of non-Chinese speaking students from HKU, CUHK, HKUST, CityUHK, and PolyU. Their solution "ORBITRON" uses 4D airspace grids and blockchain-based smart contracts to automate drone flight approvals, balancing safety, efficiency, and privacy in low‑altitude airspace management. The Second Runner-up, Jockey Team, comprises four master's students from Hong Kong Baptist University in Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. Their "AI + IoT Precision Outreach and Smart Hub Solution" addresses communication challenges faced by the elderly, using AI to interpret needs and reconstruct scenarios, enabling accurate matching of gerontechnology equipment and improving service experience.

Triple Win for MTR Talents in Professional Stream

The Professional Stream was dominated by Keep Data Moving – MTR Corporation. Six young graduates who recently joined MTR secured 3 awards – Champion, Best Low-Altitude Economy Innovation Award, and Innovator of Secure by Design – making them the standout triple winner of this competition. Their winning solution "UAV Guard: Empowering Low-Altitude Economic Growth" tackles the low-altitude economy challenge, creating a real-time flight management system that defines user roles, models flight routes, and instantly flags abnormal drone activities – laying a solid foundation for future low-altitude traffic management. The solution impressed the judging panel with its technical completeness, innovation and strong application potential.

The First Runner-up, DefinePro, competed as a solo participant and stood out with "Digital Product Passport Control Tower" solution, enabling end-to-end traceability from raw materials to final delivery while proactively identifying and mitigating supply chain risks. The Second Runner-up, MingQ Technology Limited, developed a "MingQ IntelliSort System — B2B2C-Ready Pick-to-Light Sorting Solution for Intelligent Warehouse Operation & Management" that integrates order data and optimises routing algorithms to boost picking efficiency and warehouse utilisation.

IOT Data Hackathon 2026 Award Results

Student Stream

• Champion: De-Buggers | Supply Chain System: From Predicting Risks to Automated Responses
• First Runner-up: Elevenators | ORBITRON
• Second Runner-up: Jockey Team | AI+IOT-Driven Precision Reach and Intelligent Hub Solution
  
  

Professional Stream

• Champion: Keep Data Moving – MTR Corporation | UAV Guard: Empowering Low-Altitude Economic Growth
• First Runner-up: DefinePro | Digital Product Passport Control Tower
• Second Runner-up: MingQ Technology Limited | MingQ IntelliSort System — B2B2C-Ready Pick-to-Light Sorting Solution for Intelligent Warehouse Operation & Management

Special Awards

• Best ESG Achievement Award: De-Buggers | Supply Chain System: From Predicting Risks to Automated Responses
• Best Use of AI Award: De-Buggers | Supply Chain System: From Predicting Risks to Automated Responses
• Best Low-Altitude Economy Innovation Award (sponsored by HKT): Elevenators | ORBITRON (Student Stream)
• Best Low-Altitude Economy Innovation Award (sponsored by HKT): Keep Data Moving – MTR Corporation | UAV Guard: Empowering Low-Altitude Economic Growth (Professional Stream)
• Innovator of Secure by Design (sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies): De-Buggers | Supply Chain System: From Predicting Risks to Automated Responses (Student Stream)
• Innovator of Secure by Design (sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies Limited): Keep Data Moving – MTR Corporation | UAV Guard: Empowering Low-Altitude Economic Growth (Professional Stream)

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Hong Kong's Data Innovation Ecosystem

Spanning nearly three months, IOT Data Hackathon 2026 empowered participants to turn data into real innovation. To set teams up for success, GS1 Hong Kong organised seven pre-hackathon workshops, equipping teams with hands‑on insights into geospatial data, cybersecurity, data storytelling, and AI applications, etc. Shortlisted teams gained complimentary access to advanced technical resources and tools provided by AWS and Esri China (Hong Kong), alongside one-on-one consultations from Check Point Software Technologies to strengthen the security and resilience of their solutions.

Ms. Anna Lin, Chief Executive of GS1 Hong Kong, stated: "The IOT Data Hackathon is a vital platform connecting the business sector, academia, and startups. By sharing real operational pain points, we spark data-driven solutions to address real-world needs. The passion and creativity shown by these tech talents reinforce our confidence in the future economy. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of all partners, and remain committed to fostering cross-sector collaboration – bringing technology into industries, communities and everyday life to create greater value for the society.

To further amplify the impact, GS1 Hong Kong has arranged a Winners Showcase at InnoEX 2026, connecting winning teams with industry professionals and the wider public for deeper technical exchange and real‑world engagement.

Enquiries

For details of the IOT Data Hackathon 2026, please visit: www.gs1hk.org/iotdatahackathon

For enquiries, please contact: iot@gs1hk.org or call (852) 2861 2819.

PR Newswire is the official press release distribution partner for IOT Data Hackathon 2026.

About GS1 Hong Kong

Founded by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in 1989, GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) is the local chapter of GS1®, a not-for-profit, global organisation that brings industry stakeholders together to develop standards-based solutions to address the challenges of data exchange. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, GS1® has 120 national chapters serving 150 economies globally.

GS1 HK aims to empower industry's digital transformation by enabling businesses to improve efficiency, safety, authenticity and sustainability through platforms, solutions and services based on our global standards. GS1 HK is dedicated to building a collaborative IoT ecosystem in Hong Kong to promote the development of ICT, serving as a bridge between ICT solution providers, users, government and other stakeholders, realising the community's vision to become a smart city.

GS1 HK currently supports over 8,000 corporate members from various sectors including retail & consumer packaged goods, healthcare, food & beverage and food services, apparel & footwear, transport & logistics, among others.

For more information, please visit www.gs1hk.org

Media Enquiries:

Ms. Mignone Cheng

Chief Marketing Officer

GS1 Hong Kong

Email: mignonecheng@gs1hk.org

Tel: +852 2863 9762

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SOURCE GS1HK