Mathematics Hackathon at Nextistence: Students Solved Smart Future Challenges
On Friday, 11 April 2025, the Nextistence Institute hosted a group of students from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, who organized a one-day hackathon as part of the course Mathematical Modelling.
The event began with an introductory series of lectures that gave students insight into real challenges of today’s digital society. The Institute’s Director, Gvido Omladič, welcomed the students and introduced the mission and activities of Nextistence within the context of a rapidly evolving technological environment. This was followed by a lecture from Matjaž Logar on the concept of smart cities and the role of SRIP Smart Cities in their development.
The opening session concluded with Jure Lampe, who presented the importance of data technologies in smart factories and digital tools that enable efficient solutions for the challenges of future industry.
Following the theoretical introduction, the students formed project teams and began working on practical challenges from everyday life. Using mathematical modelling, they analyzed problems and proposed solutions through a range of methods – from statistical analysis and optimization procedures to data simulations.
The hackathon was an excellent opportunity to connect academic knowledge with real-world needs and to encourage creative thinking about the future we are building through science, data, and innovation.
