AI marathon at Medipol: Young developers designed the F future in seven hours

Hosted by Istanbul Medipol University, organized under the main sponsorship of META TEKMER, and coordinated by the IEEE Medipol Student Community, the “Medipol META Artificial Intelligence Hackathon” brought together young software developers and artificial intelligence enthusiasts from various regions of Türkiye at the Kavacık South Campus.

The highly attended event welcomed a total of 101 participants, while 31 teams composed of high school and university students competed with their artificial intelligence-focused projects. Conducted in an atmosphere of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation, the hackathon served as an important platform for showcasing the potential of young people in the field of generative artificial intelligence.
 

The opening programme was held at the South Campus Conference Hall. Among the speakers were Prof. Mehmet Kemal Özdemir, Vice Dean of the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Chairman of the Board of META TEKMER, and Chair of the Department of Artificial Intelligence; Fatma Gizem Ak, Senior Entrepreneurship Specialist at the Medipol Technology Transfer Office; İbrahim Sili, Chairman of the Board of the IEEE Medipol Student Community; and Mert Mestçi, President of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS).

As part of the programme, participants received information on the entrepreneurship ecosystem, current developments in artificial intelligence technologies, innovation culture, and the importance of teamwork. Throughout the event, students also had the opportunity to develop their projects with the support of experienced mentors.

SEVEN-HOUR INNOVATION SPRINT
During the hackathon, held on 17 May 2026, teams developed innovative solutions in areas such as generative artificial intelligence, image processing, and predictive analytics within an intensive seven-hour sprint. Following a full day of project development, the teams presented their work to the jury for evaluation.

As a result of the expert jury’s assessments, the team “ATTN” secured first place and received the grand prize of 50,000 Turkish lira. The team “MIRROR” finished in second place, earning 30,000 Turkish lira, while the team “PROVA” claimed third place and received a prize of 15,000 Turkish lira.
 

Concluding with final project presentations, mentor consultations, and networking activities, the event highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to generate social value while also demonstrating the strong interest of young developers in technology-driven innovation and production processes.