The 3rd IOT Data Hackathon Wrapped Up on a High Note Participants Tackle Real-World Challenges with Creativity, Data and Purpose
Hong Kong, 30 March 2026 - Organised by GS1 Hong Kong, 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" has reached its third edition.
This year’s hackathon centered on the themes of "Technology and Business Innovation" and "Social Impact and Sustainability", with separate streams for students and professionals. The hackathon drew an unprecedented response, achieving a record-breaking number of registrations with over 160 teams from local tertiary institutions, tech startups and professionals from cross-industries. After more than two months of preparation and a rigorous judging process, 24 outstanding teams advanced to the final stage on 29 March, 2026, where they pitched their solutions live before a distinguished panel of industry experts —demonstrating creativity, presentation skills, and the ability to respond under pressure.
From Commerce to Community: Innovation Spanning Retail, Supply Chains, Low Altitude Mobility and Elderly Care
As a competition dedicated to nurturing future talents and encouraging practical problem-solving, the hackathon featured five real world challenge statements contributed by leading enterprises: AS Watsons Industries, Cobalt Fashion (Hong Kong), DFI Retail Group – Mannings, HKT, and The Hong Kong Council of Social Service & Jocky Club "age at home" Gerontech Education and Rental Service. Spanning multiple sectors, all five challenges shared a common goal: leveraging technology and data to design practical, people centric solutions that address everyday needs.
AS Watsons Industries challenged teams to optimise inventory management from a warehousing perspective, improving stock accuracy and operational efficiency across both B2B and B2B2C channels.
Cobalt Fashion (Hong Kong) focused on supply chain digitisation, calling for end-to-end traceability to ensure full visibility along the product journey.
DFI Retail Group – Mannings sought smarter retail solutions that manage the entire order to pickup process, ensure inventory availability, enable accurate forecasting and control total operating costs.
HKT turned eyes skyward, asking teams to design management systems that would support drone operations and enable the future of the low altitude economy.
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service and the Jockey Club "age at home" Gerontech Education and Rental Service challenged participants to analyse user needs and apply technology to enhance elderly care services.
Beyond presenting real-world challenges, these organisations also provided business data, encouraging participants to design innovative solutions with both commercial value and social impact.
Two Months of Preparation for the Final Battle
The IOT Data Hackathon is more than just a competition — it is a journey of growth and capability building. Participants took part in 7 pre-hackathon workshops, delved into hot topics such as geospatial data, cybersecurity, data storytelling and AI applications, equipping themselves thoroughly for the Final Pitch Day. Along the way, 26 expert mentors provided professional guidance. Technology partners AWS and Esri China (Hong Kong) equipped teams with advanced technical resources, while Check Point Software Technologies offered one-on-one consultations to strengthen cybersecurity and data protection in proposed solutions.
With robust support from multiple parties, teams delivered well considered and practical proposals aligned with real business needs. On the final stage, ideas collided, creativity sparked, and the atmosphere was charged with excitement.
Turn AI and Data into Real world Ideas That Matter
Across the challenge areas, teams demonstrated how data and technology can be translated into tangible value.
To answer the needs of retails logistics and supply chain, one team skilfully combined historical data with AI analytics to build a comprehensive inventory management system covering procurement, transportation, production, and warehousing. Designed to support both B2B and B2C needs, the solution is capable of forecasting daily pickup volume and inventory availability. It optimises replenishment planning, fleet deployment, routing, and store allocation while delivering real time insights and predictive forecasting for agile resource allocation.
One solution was designed to deliver full visibility and traceability down to each purchase order. From yarn sourcing and manufacturing to packaging and shipping, every stage of the supply chain was made transparent, enabling early risk detection and proactive management.
A team combined open data, geospatial data, and weather forecasts to build a platform that monitors wind speed and traffic conditions in real time. The system provides dynamic recommendations on altitude, speed and flight paths, supporting safe and efficient drone operations.
While for elderly care service, one team integrated data on demographics, public transportation, equipment distribution and segmented elderly users into different need levels to build predictive models. The solution supports better equipment inventory planning and long term service strategy.
Mr. Louis MAH, Chairman of the IOT Data Hackathon Organising Committee and Group Director of Information Technology at Maxim’s Caterers Company Limited remarked: “The student teams stepped beyond the classroom to take on real business challenges, showcasing remarkable potential. Professional teams, drawing on experience and sharp commercial insight, refined solutions to meet enterprise needs. It was inspiring to see both streams make great use of AI while staying firmly human centric — ensuring technology truly serves society. The exchange of ideas between participants and mentors brought fresh perspectives, making this hackathon especially meaningful.
Countdown to 15 April — Winning Solutions Ready to Take the Spotlight
With 24 teams delivering outstanding performances, one key question remains: who will take home the trophy? The results will be unveiled on 15 April 2026 at "InnoEX 2026", where the winning solutions will also be showcased live.
Award Ceremony Details:
Date: 15 April, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Venue: The Stage, Hall 3E, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Event: IOT Data Hackathon 2026 Award Ceremony (during the InnoEX 2026)
Visitors are welcome to explore the Winning Solution Showcase at booths 3C-A32 and 3C-A34 to experience these innovations up close.
For more information about IOT Data Hackathon 2026, please visit www.gs1hk.org/iotdatahackathon. For enquiries, please contact iot@gs1hk.org or call (852) 2861 2819.
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 Inquiries:
Ms. Mignone Cheng
Chief Marketing Officer
GS1 Hong Kong
Email: mignonecheng@gs1hk.org
Tel: +852 2863 9762
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(852) 2863-9763
media@gs1hk.org
