South East Technological University (SETU) students represented the university at the national showcase final of a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hackathon, competing against leading higher education institutions from across Ireland.
A team of five undergraduate students progressed to the national stage following a strong performance at SETU’s local hackathon. At the national final, they competed against teams from University College Cork (UCC), Munster Technological University (MTU), Dublin City University (DCU), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), demonstrating innovation, collaboration and a strong commitment to sustainable development.
National opportunity
The SETU team secured their place in the national final after emerging as winners of the local hackathon. The competition brought together students from across disciplines and challenged them to develop innovative, practical solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The five fourth-year SETU students from the BSc (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science programme, namely Aaron Power, Andrea Sofia Zukh, Eryk Adamczyk, Harrison Donnellan and Laurence Ho advanced to the national final, demonstrating strong commitment, teamwork and the ability to deliver impactful sustainability solutions.
Funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the hackathon required each team to respond to a specific sustainability challenge, applying entrepreneurial thinking and problem-solving skills within a limited timeframe.
"We had an amazing time proposing and pitching innovative solutions to various teams this year as part of the Sustainability Development Goals Hackathon. Participating in both the local and national hackathons allowed us to sharpen our communication skills while being inspired by the brilliant minds around us.
Our pitch 'SOLV-INV' aimed to tackle solvent waste in student labs across universities through a QR-code system. It was a privilege to represent SETU at Hackathon 2026. We would like to particularly thank Jane Foster, Michelle Maher and Tracey Coady for their continuous support to help bring SOLV-INV to reality, although we didn't win the National finals."
SOLV-INV SETU Hackathon Team
SDG Entrepreneurship at SETU
The event was coordinated by Brian Ogilvie, Head of Entrepreneurship and Rural Engagement at SETU, and Jane Foster, Rural Hubs Programme Support Officer at SETU. The hackathon formed part of a broader HEA-funded initiative delivered in collaboration with University College Cork.
The wider project included a number of initiatives aimed at embedding sustainability and entrepreneurship across the university. These comprised an SDG-focused Hackathon series, a coffee shop simulation game, a digital badge in SDG Entrepreneurship for staff and students, and a masterclass in SDG Entrepreneurship.
SETU’s sustainability department supported both the hackathon and the wider project, recognising their value in fostering innovation and advancing the university’s sustainability goals.
For more information, please contact Jane Foster at [email protected].
