The final of the 6th SDG Open Hack@Tsinghua University took place on November 24, 2024, at the Jianhua Building of the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SEM), where 14 innovative teams from 16 hacks competed. This year's SDG Open Hack highlighted entrepreneurship-driven innovation with a special focus on corporate needs, introducing several corporate-themed hacks. The event reached new heights in scale, attracting more than 2,500 participants. The participating teams presented over 300 innovative solutions spanning diverse fields including energy, environmental protection, digital economy, medicine, healthcare, artificial intelligence, rural revitalization, smart agriculture, and technology and art. All these efforts aimed to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Among the participants, the Hack14 team, "Meiling Future Tech Innovator Program - Black Whale Energy," took home the gold award. It is the first in China to commercialize direct air carbon capture (DAC) technology. They focus on combating climate change through innovative materials and processes that enable low-energy, high-efficiency air carbon capture.

Meanwhile, the Hack15 team, "AI+ Entrepreneurship Elite Training Camp - Physician AI Team," was honored the Most Commercially Feasible Award. Their work centers on creating personal health digital twins for everyone powered by AI agents. Their vision is to provide personalized, proactive health management throughout users' life cycles, from oral health management and chronic disease management to daily health management.

Teams present their innovative solutions.

In his opening remarks, He Ping, deputy dean of Tsinghua SEM, introduced that since its launch in the spring semester of 2024, the initiative has organized hundreds of dynamic activities, strengthening collaboration between the university and industry partners such as Mercedes-Benz China, Nestlé, and Inditex. By tackling real-world industry challenges, the program fosters project-based learning and promote a seamless integration of technical and business acumen among students. In the future, Tsinghua x-lab plans to continue advancing innovation projects, build a fast track platform for industry-education integration, and nurture versatile and highly skilled talent equipped with innovative spirit and ability to solve real-world challenges.

He Ping delivers a speech.

Cheng Yuan, chair of the Department of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy at Tsinghua SEM and academic director of the SDG competition course, emphasized that the success of the event is deeply rooted in the strong support of the business community and also reflects Tsinghua University's educational philosophy of integrating innovation and entrepreneurship and sustainable education. Over the past six years, the competition format has evolved from a 24-hour marathon to a year-long challenge, reflecting the importance of meticulous efforts in the process of innovation. Cheng said he hoped everyone will maintain an innovative spirit and bring bold ideas to life.

Cheng Yuan comments on the SDG Open Hack.

Jurors review and comment on the SDG Open Hack.

The jurors for the final included He Ping; Huang Feng, deputy secretary of the Youth League Committee of Tsinghua University; Cheng Yuan; Yang Jianxin, director of the Fundamental Industry Training Center at Tsinghua University (iCenter); Hao Xiuqing, director of Tsinghua x-lab; Sun Ying, general manager of the Strategic Development Department at Huatai Securities, chairman of Huatai Innovation and vice chairman of the Huatai Foundation; Guo Meiling, vice chairman of Meinian Onehealth Healthcare and founder of the Meiling Foundation; David Fang, senior vice president of Nestlé Zone Greater China; CUI Tao, manager of Innovation Product Management in the Product Strategy Department at Mercedes-Benz China; Chen Yangyan, charity project manager of Tencent Foundation; Li Yuanfu, environmental manager in the Sustainability Department of Inditex China; Wang Jiao, head of the R&D Department at Wancho Environmental-Protection Co., Ltd.; Li Mengzhu, ecosystem head at Vivo AI Institute; Yin Guangzhi, senior engineer at Beijing Fawip Cryogenic Co., Ltd. and alumnus of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University; and Wang Xuehui, partner of Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed Fund.

The jurors offered professional evaluations and suggestions on various aspects of each team's project, including technical strengths, business models, cost management, data security, and practical application cases.

Jurors for the SDG Open Hack@Tsinghua University final pose with contestants.