The Hillingdon Hackathon 2026 brought together Brunel computer science students, academic staff and external partners for an intensive one-day event focused on innovation, collaboration and real-world problem solving. Supported by Microsoft, ICS AI, Brunel University of London and Hillingdon Council, the hackathon provided students with an opportunity to apply their technical skills to challenges faced by local government. The event was coordinated by Brunel Computer Science student organisers Michael Petrone, Farhan Faruque, Ayesha Saqib, and Sravanth Kumar, with support from Dr Mahir Arzoky and Dr Weibo Liu from the Department of Computer Science.
Students worked in teams and selected one of five projects set by Hillingdon Council, including challenges relating to centralised booking systems and route optimisation. Over a focused five-hour sprint, teams designed and built prototype solutions. Towards the end of the day, teams presented their work to representatives from partner organisations in a short, high-intensity demonstration session, testing their ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely in a fast-paced environment.
Winning teams were awarded a range of prizes, including an open session with Hillingdon Council’s Chief Operating Officer, an open session with ICS AI’s Chief Customer Officer, and a day at Microsoft.