Sixteen teams compete for ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 crown

Contestants take part in the final round of the ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 in Da Nang. The competition, organized by Passage to ASEAN (P2A) in collaboration with Duy Tan University in Da Nang, aims to identify artificial intelligence initiatives with practical benefits for communities. According to the organizers, the ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 attracted over 240 teams comprising over 1,000 students from more than 110 universities across nine countries. This year’s theme is ‘AI for a Resilient ASEAN: Innovative, Sustainable, Humane.’ Following four months of preliminary and semifinal rounds, 16 teams were selected for the final championship. The finalists represent universities and institutions from seven countries, including Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, Universiti Malaya in Malaysia, Universitas Indonesia and BINUS University in Indonesia, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) in Singapore, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Cebu Institute of Technology, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Naga College Foundation, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna in the Philippines, and the American University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Vietnam is represented by two teams from Duy Tan University and Dong Nai Technology University. In the final round, each team has 20 minutes to present and demonstrate its product while answering questions from a judging panel. The format evaluates both the technological elements and the feasibility, applicability, and practical value of each solution. The projects focus on four areas: developing intelligent disaster warning and response systems amid climate change, enabling remote diagnosis in areas with limited healthcare access, optimizing transportation and energy for smart cities, and personalizing learning pathways in education. Participants must start with real-world problems and develop their solutions through multiple stages, from initial ideas to working demonstrations. The emphasis is on solutions that address practical constraints faced by ASEAN countries.