On January 17, 2026, the finals of the 5th All-Ukrainian SmaRTF Engineering Hackathon, organized by the Faculty of Radio Engineering at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, took place. The event brought together military experts, experienced developers, and young researchers to create new technological solutions.
For Athlon Avia, participating in the hackathon served as an important platform for professional dialogue and the exchange of ideas between leaders in the defense industry and a talented student community.
The teams’ journey to the finals lasted several months. From a large number of applications, the expert jury selected the 8 best projects, which received funding to create real prototypes and were presented during the final stage of the competition. The finalists’ projects focused on the most critical areas:
- Defense and offense;
- Technological reconnaissance;
- Logistical solutions for the front lines.
Kyrylo Savchenko, Head of Young Talent Development at Athlon Avia, served on the final jury. Together with representatives from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other technology companies, he evaluated the engineering solutions and their potential for practical application.⠀
The winning hackathon team received a cash prize of $2,000 USD.
