ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT hosts IEEE Smart Mobility Hackathon 2025

Sep 18 2025

ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT, in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Region 10 Adhoc Committee on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI), the Wadhwani Foundation, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), theDepartment of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the iDEYA CIT, brought together more than 100 students and young professionals nationwide by hosting the IEEE Smart Mobility Hackathon 2025 from September 2 to 4, 2025.

The three-day event was filled with inspiring talks, hands-on mentorship, and breakthrough innovations. On its first day, the Opening Program was held at the College of Engineering and Technology Amphitheater, ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT, with the university leaders, government representatives, and partner organizations in attendance, underscoring strong support for technopreneurship and innovation.

A series of keynote talks from international experts enriched the event with valuable global perspectives on smart mobility and innovation. Dr. Fang Wang (UAE) discussed Machine Learning for Smart Traffic Prediction and Route Optimization, while Engr. Lance Kosca (UAE) highlighted Satellite and Space-Based Solutions for Tracking, Mapping, and Transportation Efficiency. Prof. Inoue Sozo (Japan) explored AI-Driven Smart Mobility: From Assistive Technologies to City-Scale Solutions, and Samhita R (India/USA) emphasized AI-Powered Resilience for Disaster Risk Reduction and Response. From the Philippines, Elezah May S. Cabahit shared DICT Empowers Start-Ups and Innovative Ideas, John Noel Victorino tackled Data-Driven Energy Strategies for Transportation Networks, and Mary Rose Ofianga of the Wadhwani Foundation focused on From Prototype to Startup: Building Sustainable Mobility Ventures. Complementing these, Dr. Christina Garcia (Japan) underlined the importance of Human-Centered Design in Smart Mobility Systems, while Dr. Muhammad Fikry (Indonesia) presented Smart Cities and Community-Driven Mobility Solutions.

Alongside international experts, local leaders delivered powerful messages that grounded the event in community and national priorities. Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan called for stronger support to ensure that young Filipinos’ innovations reach the market, while Engr. Ruel Vincent Bañal of DOST X urged participants to make sure innovations benefit the communities that need them most. Abigail Jimlani from the LGU Iligan, inspired resilience by reminding the youth that they can be the solution, and Mr. Ian Loking from the Office of the Congressman, emphasized that innovation is about building with care as well as knowledge. Adding to these, Mr. Jaypee Yongco from ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT encouraged participants to focus on real-world impact, improving daily life beyond academic recognition.

Day 1 also included the orientation of teams, presentation of mechanics, and judging criteria. The evening ended with lightning talks and networking, leaving participants energized to begin prototyping.

On the second day, participants engaged in design sprints and prototype development, guided by mentors Dr. Fikry, Dr. Garcia, and Engr. Kosca. They also accessed the Wadhwani Foundation’s online entrepreneurship platform, which provided structured frameworks for customer validation, solution design, and business modeling. This combination of global mentorship and digital tools ensured that teams refined their ideas into viable prototypes.

The final day of the event opened with motivational talks from Engr. Eduardo D. Piedad Jr. (DOST/IEEE Philippine Section), Ceej Brasileño (iDEYA, ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT), and Engr. James Kevin Sagocsoc (DICT), setting an inspiring tone for the culmination of the competition. Teams then pitched their innovative solutions before a panel of judges, each allotted five minutes for presentation and ten minutes for Q&A.

The awarding ceremony recognized InclusiTech as Champion (竄ｱ5,000 + trophy + gold medal), followed by Coral Vision as 1st Runner-Up (竄ｱ3,000 + trophy + silver medal), and Innovotica, a high school team from the Division of Iligan City, as 2nd Runner-Up (竄ｱ2,000 + trophy + bronze medal).

Across three days, the hackathon recorded 290 attendees in total. Beyond the numbers, it strengthened collaboration between the academe, industry, and government while nurturing young innovators from Mindanao and Visayas.

As Prof. Orven E. Llantos, PhD, IEEE Entrepreneurship Ambassador (Region 10 ACEI, 2025) and Event Chair, remarked: “This hackathon is more than a competition—it is a movement. By conducting the IEEE Smart Mobility Hackathon, Visayans and Mindanaons are given the chance to represent the Philippines to the world, proving that Filipino ingenuity can move communities forward.”

The event’s success was made possible through 12 sponsors and partners, including: DICT, DTI, DOST Region 10, DOST-ASTI, Congressional District of Iligan City, Wadhwani Foundation, IEEE Philippine Section, IEEE Region 10, iDEYA CIT (ﾂ鮟ｨﾐﾇｿﾕﾊﾓﾆｵ-IIT), Briyo Energy, Tesseract, and DEVCON. Their combined support provided resources, mentoring, and incubation opportunities for participants.

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