On 18 March, the final of Hack The FICT, a hackathon dedicated to modern electronics and IoT solutions, took place at Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University.
The hackathon was organised by the Innovation Hub of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University and the Faculty of Information and Computer Technologies, with the Center for Conversion and Professional Adaptation (CCPA) acting as a co-organising partner. The event was held with the support of BGV Group Management, founded by Hennadii Butkevych.
A total of 11 teams applied to participate in the hackathon. After an intermediate selection stage, during which the jury and mentors evaluated the submitted projects, six strongest teams of engineers, innovators and developers advanced to the next phase.
Over the course of three months, the teams worked on the implementation of their projects with the support of hardware and software experts. During the final day, they presented prototypes of their own solutions to an expert jury.
The participants were welcomed by Oksana Oliinyk, First Vice-Rector of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University; Mykhailo Psiuk, Head of the Innovation Hub; and Tetiana Nikitchuk, Dean of the Faculty of Information and Computer Technologies.
The expert jury evaluated the architecture, functionality, market potential and team presentations of the projects. The jury included:
Dmytro Kalinkin, co-owner of CERTA, circuit engineer and hardware developer;
Roman Savitskyi, Web and Mobile Sub Practice Leader at Infopulse, part of TietoEvry Create, and Assistant Professor at the Department of Software Engineering;
Artur Korniiuk, lead electronics engineer at Hokord Limited and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Technologies in Medicine and Telecommunications;
Vadym Mykolaichuk, DevOps Engineer at Sana Commerce and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Engineering and Cybersecurity;
Roman Kolomiiets, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Technologies in Medicine and Telecommunications.
The winners of Hack The FICT were:
1st place — Team Funginest
The team developed a system for growing mushrooms at home. The solution allows users to control growing conditions and maintain optimal environmental parameters for specific types of mushrooms.
2nd place — Crutch Team
The team created a system for monitoring plant health indicators, including soil moisture, lighting, air quality and soil pH. The project also includes a mobile application that gamifies the process of plant care.
3rd place — Team StormEnergy
The team implemented a system that combines wind turbines, solar panels and batteries to support accessible and efficient energy management.
For CCPA, participation in Hack The FICT reflects its broader commitment to supporting youth innovation, engineering education and practical formats that help young people move from technical ideas to working prototypes.
The hackathon demonstrated the strong innovation potential of student teams and the importance of long-term support for engineering initiatives. CCPA thanks BGV Group Management for its valuable support and continued belief in the innovative potential of young people in Ukraine.
