What is it about?
This paper explores how hackathons, i.e., short, intensive events where people collaborate to solve problems, can be used as an effective tool in research and innovation projects. It introduces a practical methodology to organize and manage hackathons within collaborative research contexts, combining structure with creativity. The authors describe real-world experiences from the AIDOaRt European research project, illustrating how hackathons helped improve communication between academic and industrial partners, accelerate idea generation, and validate research outcomes. The study also provides practical lessons and recommendations for researchers and project managers who want to apply this approach in their own collaborations.
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Why is it important?
Hackathons are often associated with software development or student competitions, but this work shows that they can be powerful instruments for research and innovation when used strategically. By formalizing a methodology and reporting concrete evidence, this paper bridges the gap between creative collaboration and structured project management. Its findings are timely because research consortia are increasingly distributed and multidisciplinary, requiring new ways to engage partners effectively. The proposed framework empowers research teams to make hackathons repeatable, measurable, and productive, turning them into a recognized best practice for collaborative projects.
Perspectives
From my perspective, this work demonstrates how structured creativity can transform collaboration within research projects. Hackathons are not only about coding or competition, but they are also about people working together, sharing ideas, and creating value in a short time. Being part of this study confirmed that innovation thrives when researchers, engineers, and companies co-create in an open and dynamic environment. I believe the proposed methodology can inspire more research communities to adopt hackathons as a tool for engagement, rapid prototyping, and collective learning.
Vittoriano Muttillo
Universita degli Studi di Teramo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Foster the use of Hackathons in Collaborative Research Projects: Methodology, Experience Report and Lesson Learned, ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, October 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3771552.
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