Expressnews
9–13 April 2026 | Fully Virtual | Australia & India
The University of Western Australia (UWA), in collaboration with the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustChamIndia) Perdaman, Invest and Trade WA, has announced the launch of Hack for Impact 2026, a five-day global online innovation challenge bringing together students from India and Australia to solve real-world industry problems.
The initiative marks a significant milestone in UWA’s growing engagement with India and coincides with the university’s progress towards opening two branch campuses in India Mumbai and Chennai in 2026, its first international expansion in history.
A Platform for Cross-Border Innovation
Hack for Impact 2026 is designed as a high-impact, industry-led innovation platform where students collaborate across borders in multidisciplinary teams. Participants will work on live challenges presented by UWA’s business and industry partners, developing solutions that are feasible, scalable, and market-relevant.
Hack for Impact 2026 will focus on innovation challenges across key future-facing sectors, including cyber security, artificial intelligence and technology, energy, education, agriculture, tourism, and sports. Solutions will be evaluated on desirability, feasibility, and viability, encouraging participants to think beyond concepts and towards real-world implementation.
The programme will run in a fully virtual format, making it accessible to students across geographies. Registrations are now open and will close on 6 April 2026, followed by a mandatory online information session on Wednesday, 8 April 2026. The hackathon itself will take place from Thursday, 9 April to Monday, 13 April 2026, with an expected total time commitment of approximately 13–15 hours across five days.
The structure includes a live launch, daily mentor check-ins with professionals from India and Western Australia, dedicated team collaboration time, and culminates in a Shark Tank–style Grand Final, where shortlisted teams will pitch their solutions to an expert jury.
Participants will compete for a total prize pool of USD 20,000 (INR 12.5 lakh) and gain access to continued post-hackathon support, direct industry mentoring, certificates of participation, and hands-on experience in international innovation and collaboration.
Hack for Impact 2026 is open to students from all disciplines with an interest in innovation and problem-solving. No prior hackathon experience is required, making the programme accessible to both first-time participants and experienced innovators alike.
To participate, students must submit the online registration form, attend the mandatory information session on 8 April 2026 and sign the participation agreement, followed by joining the live launch on 9 April 2026.
Professor Amit Chakma, Vice-Chancellor, UWA said: “UWA Hack for Impact 2026 is designed to bridge innovation ecosystems in India and Australia, equipping tomorrow’s leaders with skills in design thinking, cross-cultural teamwork, and entrepreneurial problem-solving. This initiative reflects our broader Indo-Pacific commitment — preparing students to tackle global challenges while strengthening bilateral collaboration through innovation.”
Gaven Standon, Executive, Telstra Partner Ecosystem and President, AustCham India – “At Telstra, we see secure connectivity, resilient digital infrastructure and trusted AI as the foundation of future economic growth. UWA Hack for Impact 2026 creates a unique platform where students, industry and government across India and Australia can codesign solutions that strengthen networks, embed cybersecurity by design and apply AI responsibly to realworld challenges. AustCham India is proud to support an initiative that not only accelerates innovation but also builds the digital trust and crossborder collaboration needed to compete in an increasingly connected IndoPacific.”
Hack for Impact: https://www.ventureuwa.com.au/event-details/uwa-hack-for-impact-2026
For more information, please visit our website: https://india.uwa.edu.au
