Digital Girls Hackathon 2026
The Digital Girls Hackathon is a two-day coding and innovation event for girls aged 11–13. It was launched in 2021 as part of Vienna’s Digital Days. Working in teams with mentors, participants develop digital solutions to real-world challenges while strengthening their technical, creative and social skills.
This year’s Digital Girls Hackathon was organised by Urban Innovation Vienna on behalf of DigitalCity.Wien and the City of Vienna. The programme was developed and delivered in collaboration with TU Wien Informatics’ eduLAB, led by René Röpke, and the Research Unit Formal Methods in Systems Engineering (FORSYTE), led by Laura Kovács. The event was hosted by A1 at the A1 Campus in Vienna’s second district. Sabine Seidler, STEM Commissioner of the City of Vienna and former Rector of TU Wien, was among those who opened the event.
Around 50 girls aged 11 to 13 worked in small teams to explore how digital technologies could improve life in the Vienna of the future. They identified challenges, discussed possible solutions and transformed their ideas into concrete digital projects. Using the block-based programming language Scratch, the participants created interactive applications, animations and digital stories, even without previous programming experience.
During the development process, the girls became familiar with fundamental computer science concepts, experimented with different functions and visual elements, tested their prototypes and refined their solutions. They also learned how to develop ideas collaboratively, communicate within a team, solve problems creatively and present the results of their work. Mentors from eduLAB and researchers from TU Wien Informatics supported the teams throughout the programme and helped them turn their initial concepts into working projects.
Gerti Kappel, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics, and Hedy Lamarr Award recipient Martina Lindorfer also visited the hackathon, spoke with the participants and gained first-hand insight into their projects.
“At the Digital Girls Hackathon, I am delighted to see young girls develop their digital and social skills as well as their spirit of discovery,” said Laura Kovács. “In a playful way, they create smart solutions to real-world problems and code their own moments of success. It is inspiring to see them challenge traditional stereotypes and transform their digital know-how and creativity into self-efficacy. Experiences like these strengthen their confidence and foster a lasting enthusiasm for technical careers.”
