8th edition of the “Water4Future” Hackathon, focused on water resources to find innovative solutions

[Press Release] - Published on February 13, 2026 in Press Room

The Water4Future Student Hackathon 2026, organized by the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Center and the University of Montpellier, will take place on February 26 and 27. It will bring together 800 students from 66 universities and engineering schools, representing 22 countries from around the world. The students will have 48 hours to develop an innovative project with a positive social and environmental impact.

An important event

Over the course of these two days, students from around the world will develop innovative projects addressing challenges in the water sector. As in the previous year, participants will learn the theme 48 hours before the event begins. This hybrid innovation competition is organized by the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Centre in Montpellier, which focuses on inland water resources. Its goal is to unleash the creativity of future leaders in the water sector, raise their awareness, give them a voice, and expose them to the international dimension of water-related issues.

Recent climate events have highlighted the urgency of water-related challenges. From floods in the north to persistent droughts in the south, exacerbated by pollution, these phenomena underscore the need for sustainable management of a vital resource, the stakes of which are universal. In this context, the 2026 edition of the W4F Student Hackathon will bring together young people from France (Montpellier, Toulouse, Limoges, Corsica, Réunion), Europe (Poland, United Kingdom), and Africa (Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Djibouti, Burundi, Kenya, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Madagascar, Egypt, Cameroon). Together, they will explore technical, regulatory, and social solutions for more sustainable water. At the end of the two-day event, during which they will be mentored by experts and professionals, participants will present their projects to an international jury.

The schedule for these two days:

• Thursday, February 26: The event begins at 8 a.m. with official speeches, followed by a day of work for the students.
• Friday, February 27: Competition continues, with the quarterfinals starting at 2:00 p.m., the semifinals at 4:00 p.m., and the final at 5:00 p.m.

The UNESCO ICIREWARD Center

The UNESCO International Center ICIREWARD (International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics) is the first and only UNESCO research and training center dedicated to inland water in France. Located in Montpellier, it ranks among the most important centers of its kind internationally. ICIREWARD brings together and strengthens collaboration among nearly 500 scientists and 180 doctoral students across 18 research laboratories. The Center’s scientific community thus forms a rich multidisciplinary and international network to improve understanding of water-related issues.

Our research focuses on combining hydrological, chemical, and biological sciences with the social sciences to provide comprehensive expertise in addressing water resource challenges: availability, quality, equitable distribution, and extreme events (floods, droughts). ICIREWARD works year-round with elementary, middle, and high school students, college students, and the general public (e.g., the Water4Future Program, “PLOUF” on April 17, 2026, an awareness day for schoolchildren in conjunction with World Water Day).