The world is becoming increasingly urbanised. Since 2007, more than half the world’s population has been living in cities, and that share is projected to rise to 60 per cent by 2030. Cities and metropolitan areas are powerhouses of economic growth—contributing about 60 percent of global GDP. However, they also account for about 70 per cent of global carbon emissions and over 60 per cent of resource use. The Hackathon aimed to make the UN Sustainable Development Goal actionable and inspire a new generation to think sustainably when designing urban solutions. Cross-border and cross-cultural collaboration is a key driver in developing impactful solutions - we united participants from a total of 23 nationalities to tackle this challenge.

Over the course of the hackathon, students were offered professional coaching and ideation technique support through engaging workshops run by ?What If! Innovation, Imperial Enterprise Lab, Tsinghua x-Lab & Imperial Advanced Hackspace. A selection of panel discussions, with guests ranging from governmental, academic to industry representatives inspired to think outside the box. Top 5 ideas entered the final live pitch in front of an expert & industry panel - the top 3 ideas shared a prize fund of £6000.