Prešov Self-Governing Region × SAPIE × STICS

Hack the Tatras.

Name: Hackathon Tatry
Start: 2026-11-13T17:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-15T15:30:00+01:00
Location: SAS Academia Congress Centre

Date: 13–15 November 2026
Venue: SAS Academia Congress Centre, Stará Lesná
Participation: Free, meals provided
Team prizes: €1,500 / €1,000 / €500

For students, young innovators, developers, designers, analysts and people who want to work on regional challenges.

Hackni Tatry is fully booked.

Thank you to everyone who signed up. You can still join the waiting list. We will contact you if a place becomes available.

Join the waiting list View programme

From criticism to change

Build a solution for the Prešov Region.

How can municipalities plan better and manage their communities? And how can people in remote parts of the Prešov Region get access to transport? Over one weekend, you will use data, AI, technology and design to tackle specific regional challenges.

The Prešov Self-Governing Region and the town of Kežmarok prepare the briefs. Your team will design a tool for land management, municipal decisions or transport. Experts from companies, local government and research will be available for consultations.

Your output can be an app, digital service, data visualisation, AI tool, model, campaign or prototype. In your presentation, explain who it is for and how it addresses your chosen brief.

Local challenges

Challenges for the Tatras.

Better decisions for our municipalities

How can municipalities use data to manage their communities better?

Where should we plant trees, which places need maintenance, and how can parking or visitor sites be managed better? Design a way for municipalities to collect, verify and keep this information current. It could be a digital tool, automated data collection or a way for residents to contribute. The goal is to give local authorities useful evidence for planning and decision-making.

Read the full brief (PDF in Slovak)

Transport poverty in the Prešov Region

How can transport become more accessible in remote parts of the region?

In some communities, regular services are limited or unavailable. That makes it harder to get to work, school, healthcare and other services. Design a solution that improves people's travel options where conventional scheduled transport falls short. You may draw on data, digital tools or new ways of organising transport.

Read the full brief (PDF in Slovak)

The full briefs for both challenges are available as PDFs in Slovak. We will add further materials before the hackathon. Come with an idea or without one; you can choose a challenge and form a team at the event.

13–15 November 2026

Hackni Tatry programme

We start on Friday at 17:30 and finish on Sunday at 15:30. Open a day to see the schedule.

Friday 13 NovemberChallenges and teamsKick-off, team formation and your first questions about the briefs.

17:30 – 19:00Opening, practical information, programme, challenge introductions and team formation
19:00 – 20:00Dinner
20:00 – 21:00Detailed challenge briefings and Q&A

Saturday 14 NovemberBuild your solutionTeamwork, mentor consultations and pitch preparation.

7:00 – 9:30Breakfast
Throughout the dayTeamwork and consultations with mentors
12:00 – 13:30Lunch
18:00 – 19:30Dinner
After dinnerHow to prepare your final pitch (30 minutes)

Sunday 15 NovemberPitches and resultsFinalist selection, jury pitches and results.

7:00 – 9:30Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30Consultations
10:30 - 11:00Finalising presentations
11:00 - 12:30Finalist selection
11:30 – 13:00Lunch
12:45 - 13:00Results of the pre-selection of finalists
13:00 – 14:30Finalist pitches
14:30 – 15:00Jury deliberation
15:00 – 15:30Announcement of results
15:30Hackathon closes

More than a hackathon weekend

Why join Hackathon Tatry?

Win prizes.

The three best teams will receive cash prizes:

1st place: €1,500
2nd place: €1,000
3rd place: €500

Work with experienced practitioners.

Consult mentors on app development, AI tools for coding, GIS data and how your solution could be deployed.

Develop your project beyond the weekend.

Winning teams will receive 10 hours of expert support through the SAPIE acceleration programme to develop their solutions and professional skills.

Create a solution with a future.

Promising projects may continue in collaboration with the organisations presenting the challenges and find practical uses after the hackathon.

Meals and accommodation are covered.

Participation is free, meals are provided and students will be reimbursed for accommodation.

Work with the Tatras in view.

We will meet at the SAS Academia Congress Centre in Stará Lesná. During breaks, you can step outside and enjoy the view of the Tatras.

Fully booked. The waiting list is open.

Join the waiting list

Who it is for

Different skills. One team.

We are looking for people with experience in coding, data, AI, design, analysis, public services, communication and regional knowledge.

Come with your own team or on your own. You can form a team at the event.

Why the Tatras

From the Tatras to solutions for the region.

The briefs cover land management and transport access in the Prešov Region. Discuss your proposals with representatives of the region and Kežmarok who work on these issues.

Selected projects may be developed and tested further with local authorities in STICS Living Labs.

ChallengeHackathonLiving Lab

Hackathon Tatry partners

Who supports Hackni Tatry.

The Prešov Self-Governing Region and Kežmarok prepare the briefs, working with IDS Východ, Slovak Smart City Cluster, (f)ITcubator, Košice IT Valley, Amazon Web Services and Lovable on the event.

Support throughout the weekend

Mentors

Experts in technology, data, AI, design, business and municipal practice will help you move your solution forward.

Jorge Almela Miralles

bAvenir · Tech Leader

Jorge works on platforms that connect data and devices in smart communities. He can help teams shape the technical solution and decide what is worth building during the weekend.

Zoltán Balogh

Institute of Informatics SAS · Senior Research Scientist

Zoltán works on distributed systems, cloud computing and data security. He can help teams assess how to bring different data sources together in a solution that can grow beyond a prototype.

Michal Číž

SAPIE · Programme Director

Michal has long worked on digitalisation, innovation and cooperation between the public sector and the technology community. He will help teams frame a problem so their solution is useful to people and local government alike.

Dominik Čížik

Data analyst, City of Kežmarok

Dominik is introducing a data-driven approach to decision-making and improving city services in Kežmarok. He brings the perspective of someone in local government who deals with how data and digital tools work in a city's day-to-day operations.

Michal Doba

Prešov Self-Governing Region · Tourism Department

Michal connects digitalisation, IoT and smart technologies with the region's practical needs. He will help teams use sensors and data so the region can better understand its territory and make decisions based on reliable information.

Emil Gatial

Institute of Informatics SAS · Research Scientist

Emil leads the development of an AI system to map tick occurrence and has worked on technology for wildfire management. He can help teams turn field data into a useful tool.

SAS profile

Sepideh Hassankhani Dolatabadi

Institute of Informatics SAS · Researcher

Sepideh works on research projects that use data and machine learning in crisis management. She can help teams think through how to get reliable results from the data they have.

Ľubomír Macák

Institute of Spatial Planning · Chair

Ľubomír leads the Institute of Spatial Planning and works on strategies for towns and regions. He can help teams connect an idea to the needs of local government and the place it serves.

Ján Mojžiš

Institute of Informatics SAS · Research Scientist

Ján works with linked data and graphs to find relationships between pieces of information. He can help teams structure data and make their findings clear to others.

SAS profile

Tomáš Pavlík

bAvenir · Business Development Director

Tomáš works on partnerships, data and their use in real-world settings. He will help teams consider who their solution serves, what data it needs and what has to work for it to be tested further.

Filip Polonský

Institute of Spatial Planning · GIS Expert

Filip is a geographer and cartographer who works with geographic information systems. He can help teams use maps and spatial data to understand a place and what it needs.

Juraj Popovič

SAPIE · Expert

Juraj has experience with digital products, venture building and public-sector innovation. He helps teams get to the heart of a problem, understand the user and identify the next step from a presentation to a useful product.

Anna Mária Rindošová

Hackathon Tatry mentor

Her professional background will be added shortly.

Ján Rozkoš

IDS Východ · Head of Economics, Operations and Administration

Ján leads the economics and administration department at IDS Východ. He can help teams consider the budget, delivery and long-term operation of a proposed transport service.

Martin Veselý

SAPIE · Expert

Martin has worked on dozens of hackathons and now helps translate AI research into practice at KInIT. He will help teams test whether an idea solves a real problem and how it can become a viable project.

Good to know

Practical information

Date: 13–15 November 2026
Venue: SAS Academia Congress Centre, Stará Lesná
Participation: Free
Meals: Provided during the hackathon
Accommodation and overnight access: Students will be reimbursed for accommodation. Details will be published in the practical instructions.
What to bring: Your own laptop and a collaborative mindset. Further technical and organisational instructions will be sent before the event.

Participation rules

Read the Hackni STICS rules covering participation, judging and the use of team solutions. The PDF is in Slovak.

Open the rules

Financial prize agreement templates

Agreement templates for winning teams. Recipient details and the prize amount will be completed after the results are announced. The PDFs are in Slovak.

The templates still show the previously planned venue. The hackathon takes place at KC SAV Academia in Stará Lesná; the venue will be corrected before signing.

Individuals Legal entity

SAS Academia Congress Centre in Stará Lesná with the Tatras behind it — See you at SAS Academia.
The programme and meals will take place at the hotel in Stará Lesná.
Venue information

Participant contact

Veronika Yorumez

SAPIE · Project Manager

Contact Veronika with questions about registration, accommodation or the event.

veronika.yorumez@sapie.sk SAPIE profile

FAQ

Questions about taking part

What is STICS?

STICS is a project linking municipalities, experts, researchers, companies and Living Labs to develop and validate innovations for better public services, cities and regions.

Who are the hackathons for?

Students, developers, designers, data and AI specialists, startups and anyone interested in the briefs. Coding experience is not required.

Do I need my own team?

No. Register on your own and the organisers will help you find a team at the event.

How much does it cost?

Participation in Hackathon Tatry is free, meals are provided and students will be reimbursed for accommodation. Details about accommodation and reimbursement will be published in the practical instructions.

Does the hackathon run non-stop overnight?

The programme starts on Friday at 17:30 and ends on Sunday at 15:30. Venue hours and options for overnight work will be published in the practical instructions before the event.

What prizes will the winning teams receive?

At Hackathon Tatry, the three best teams will receive cash prizes: €1,500 for first place, €1,000 for second place and €500 for third place. Winning teams will also receive 10 hours of expert support through the SAPIE acceleration programme.

Can participants under 18 take part?

Yes. Participants under 18 will need consent from a parent or legal guardian. Details and the relevant form will be part of the registration process.

Can I bring a project I am already working on?

Yes. You may build on an existing idea, experience or technology. Assessment will focus primarily on the work, progress, experimentation and result created during the hackathon weekend, so a finished project does not automatically provide an advantage.

What happens after the hackathon?

Winning teams at Hackathon Tatry will receive 10 hours of expert support through the SAPIE acceleration programme to develop their solutions and professional skills. Promising projects may continue in collaboration with the organisations presenting the challenges.