BIO4AI Hackathon at BelBi 2026
We are pleased to invite you to apply for the BIO4AI Hackathon, a team challenge taking place on June 9 and 10, 2026, as part of the BelBi 2026 conference.
The BIO4AI Hackathon brings together teams of students at all levels with a competitive spirit, eager to demonstrate how bioinformatics and artificial intelligence can advance research in the fields of biodiversity, biotechnology, and biomedicine.
How to apply?
Applications must be submitted by pre-formed teams of 4-5 members, ideally with complementary knowledge in natural sciences and computational disciplines. Each team should come with an existing project, research question, dataset, prototype, or scientific idea that they want to develop using bioinformatics and/or AI.
Teams compete within three thematic areas:
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- Biodiversity
- Biotechnology
- Biomedicine
During the BIO4AI Hackathon, teams get 4 hours of active development on Day 1 followed by 4 more hours on Day 2 for presentations and the awards ceremony. The goal is not finished solution, but to present a strong concept, prototype, workflow, or early demo showing how bioinformatics and/or AI can create value in the life sciences.
All selected teams will receive full access to the BelBi 2026 conference, and throughout the
BIO4AI Hackathon, they will be supported by mentors with expertise in AI and bioinformatics.
Apply here!
The three most successful teams will be awarded prizes.
Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
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- Relevance of the problem
- Strength of the bioinformatics/AI integration
- Scientific and technical quality
- Originality
- Feasibility and future potential