DNSZ RAIL CHALLENGE 2026: a hackathon uniting education, engineering, and manufacturing

On May 20, 2026, the railway hackathon DNSZ RAIL CHALLENGE 2026 took place, bringing together more than 40 students from DIIT, DMetI, and Vocational School No. 17. Participants worked on engineering case studies, explored manufacturing processes, and presented their own technological solutions.

The event started near the columns of DIIT, where students received branded equipment and were divided into four mixed teams. The first part of the day was held at the facilities of JSC “DnSZ”. Participants were taken on tours of the production workshops and introduced to the manufacturing processes of railway turnout products. Due to air raid alerts, the program was adapted — participants continued their work and had lunch in the plant’s shelter.

The guests were welcomed by Valerii Kriachko, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of JSC “DnSZ”, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between industry, young professionals, and educational institutions. A particularly inspiring moment was meeting interns who had participated in the previous hackathon and are now completing internships at the plant. This once again confirmed that such initiatives create real opportunities for the professional development of young people.

The second part of the hackathon took place at DIIT, where the teams worked on their projects with the support of university lecturers and company specialists.

The projects were evaluated by an expert jury consisting of representatives of JSC “DnSZ”, the USURT Science Park, and DIIT.

The overall winner of the hackathon was the team “Fixiki” with the project “Steel Mind: Optimal Cutting”.

In the “Practical Potential” nomination, the team “Lokomotyv” won with the project “Engineer’s Co-Pilot”.

The “Efficiency and Impact” nomination was awarded to the team “Jimmy Neutron and Minions” for the project  “Global Track: Market Expansion”.

In the “Technological Breakthrough” nomination, the team “Cyborgs” won with the solution “AI Defect Detection”.

DNSZ RAIL CHALLENGE 2026 became an example of effective cooperation between education and industry, bringing together young specialists, lecturers, and company representatives around the development of Ukraine’s modern railway sector.