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The Innovators: Highlights from the 2025 SAS Hackathon

On December 11, 2025, SAS, a global leader in data and artificial intelligence (AI), proudly announced the champions of its fifth global SAS Hackathon. This year, over 2,000 participants from 66 countries came together to tackle some of the world's most pressing business and social challenges utilizing cutting-edge AI technologies. With a record 2,058 registrants from 708 organizations, universities, and SAS partners, the Hackathon fostered vibrant collaboration across regions, industries, and specializations.

During the month-long competition, teams, which included data scientists, developers, business analysts, and students, leveraged tools such as SAS® Viya®, a robust cloud-native platform, to innovate solutions for various challenges. Mentors from SAS provided guidance to these teams, many of which collaborated across time zones and continents.

The Role of AI in Problem-Solving

The Hackathon emphasized experimentation with traditional, generative, and agentic AI technologies. According to Peter Lundqvist, Global Program Manager for the SAS Hackathon, the event serves as an effective platform for individuals of diverse backgrounds to explore and enhance their AI skills. "Today's champions illustrate the boundless possibilities when passionate innovators unite to confront significant issues using their AI expertise," said Lundqvist.

The Hackathon revealed champions from twenty-four categories, covering various regions and industry focuses, with an impressive array of AI-driven projects. The overall champion will be unveiled at the upcoming SAS Innovate 2026 conference scheduled from April 27-30, 2026, in Grapevine, Texas.

Spotlight on Regional Champions

1. Change Bringers (Americas) - Parkinson's Disease Monitoring

This team, comprising members from the United States, India, and Hong Kong, developed an AI solution called Neuro Drift to monitor Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms through wearables and clinical data. It aims to make PD detection more accessible and data-driven, addressing a condition that impacts over 10 million people globally.

2. BloCKUbe (Emerging Middle East & Asia Pacific) - Sustainable Aviation Fuel

A group of graduate students from South Korea focused on promoting the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Their models, developed using SAS Viya and Python, optimized SAF supply chains and identified ideal locations for SAF production, promoting a cleaner sky.

3. Minority Reporters (Europe) - Fraud Protection in Finance

This Italian team's project, Agatha, is designed to protect customers from fraud. Leveraging SAS technologies, it employs AI to proactively communicate with clients, verify transactions, and ensure account security, reinforcing trust in financial systems.

Industry and Global Innovators

In addition to regional champions, various industry champions were recognized for their remarkable contributions:

• - Consortix-AURORA from Hungary developed an AI solution to streamline anti-money laundering processes in banks, ensuring efficient governance and accountability.
• - The Decathon team from Malaysia created LUCID, an advanced platform for managing smart grids to minimize energy waste and optimize performance.
• - DementAI from the UK introduced a solution to enhance early dementia detection, utilizing a mix of machine learning and AI agent technologies.

Celebrating Special Achievements

Recognition was also given to global special award champions. The Super SAIJAN team from Indonesia implemented an AI-powered communication platform that enhances urban service responsiveness. The DementAI and Finext from Oakland University also garnered awards for their impactful projects supporting data for good and sustainability initiatives.

Conclusion

The 2025 SAS Hackathon highlighted the incredible potential of AI in revolutionizing industries and improving lives worldwide. The solutions developed by these committed teams reflect not only technological advancement but also a deep desire to tackle significant global challenges. The anticipation for the next round of innovations continues as the overall champion is set to be honored in 2026, reminding us that through collaboration and creativity, the possibilities are infinite.