Empowering Innovation with Data: Celebrating the Success of GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025

The GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025 Pitch Day, held on March 23, 2025, was a dynamic showcase of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. After more than two months of intense preparation, 24 shortlisted teams of local students and professionals gathered to present their cutting-edge proposals to a panel of 12 esteemed industry leaders. The energy and creativity on display underscored the talent and ambition driving Hong Kong’s data innovation ecosystem forward. 

Participants tackled real-world challenges in the themes of “Smart Business” and “Smart Living”, leveraging open data and IOT data to develop high-impact proposals. Their work addressed pressing issues set by major enterprises—including Airport Authority Hong Kong, AS Watson Industries, CUHK Medical Centre, HKT, Maxim’s Caterers, and Swire Coca-Cola—who provided real datasets and challenge statements that anchored the hackathon in real-world relevance. As the data platform supporter of the GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025, beNovelty is proud to have played a strategic role in enabling these innovators to build and connect impactful applications at speed on the API Hub.

A Collaborative Effort Backed by Visionary Leaders

Each pitch was a culmination of weeks of ideation, prototyping, and refinement—supported by 24 expert mentors who guided teams with insights from across AI, IoT, and data science related disciplines. The judging panel, comprised of senior leaders from across industries, praised the depth, originality, and execution of the projects. 

The success of GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025 was not just about the ideas—it was about the collaborative spirit that brought them to life. Organiser, challenge statement providers, mentors, and participants came together to demonstrate the true power of data and cross-sector innovation. As echoed by GS1 Hong Kong, this year’s edition “outshined the first in every way,” leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved. 

Looking ahead, the community will reunite at the Award Ceremony on April 13, 2025, at InnoEX 2025, to celebrate the winning teams and the impact they’ve made. The GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025 has proven that with access to the right tools, mentorship, and vision, the future of innovation in Hong Kong is incredibly bright.

beNovelty’s Commitment to the Future of Data and API Innovation

At beNovelty, we believe data becomes truly powerful when it is accessible, actionable, and scalable. As the data platform supporter of the GS1HK IOT Data Hackathon 2025, we were proud to empower participants with access to the API hub powered by FabriXAPI—a cloud-native, enterprise-grade API store designed to simplify how organisations share and consume data.

Throughout the hackathon, FabriXAPI enabled seamless data integration across multiple sources, empowering teams to quickly experiment, prototype, and deliver innovative solutions. Whether optimizing smart catering or improving healthcare workflows, Open APIs proved vital to unlocking real-world impact. Beyond infrastructure, beNovelty provided consultation and technical support, helping teams lower the barriers to innovation and bring their ideas to life.

We remain committed to scaling this momentum beyond a single event. We welcome enterprises, public organizations, and academic institutions interested in co-creating solutions, exploring use cases, or hosting their own AI or Data API Hackathons. With our expertise and by providing support through the Open Data API Hub, we are committed to transforming ideas into tangible outcomes.

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Together, we can build a smarter, more connected Hong Kong—one API at a time.