Organized in Cluj-Napoca between 24 and 26 April 2026, the event brought together students, technology communities, industry partners, and representatives of professional football around a shared objective: developing real, applicable digital solutions for the technical and operational challenges of a professional sports club.
The initiative was organized by FC Universitatea Cluj in partnership with Google Developer Group on Campus UTCN, .msg Romania, and Fundația AROBS. By connecting academia, industry, and professional sports, the hackathon proposed a first-of-its-kind collaboration model in Romania, placing Cluj-Napoca at the intersection of artificial intelligence, software development, sports analytics, and innovation.
Over the course of three days, approximately 150 students took part in intensive coding sessions, workshops, mentoring activities, and project presentations. Working in teams, participants developed AI-powered applications with direct relevance to the needs of FC Universitatea Cluj, exploring how technology can support areas such as transfer and scouting processes, opponent analysis, and smart performance analysis.
The event also created opportunities for participants to engage with industry specialists and representatives of the football ecosystem. The programme included thematic workshops on sports analytics, team collaboration, Firebase Genkit, AI agents, production-ready football AI solutions, Agent Development Kit, Agent Engine, intelligent databases, and agentic AI. A special moment of the event was the meeting between participants and FC Universitatea Cluj players, which opened a practical discussion on the role of technology in modern football, from opponent analysis and scouting to training methods and performance optimization.
The first edition of “U” Hack! Code in Black & White confirmed the relevance of artificial intelligence and digital technologies as strategic tools for the management and development of sports organizations. More than a student competition, the event demonstrated how real-world challenges can be transformed into learning opportunities, technological prototypes, and potential solutions with practical impact.
For AIRi@UTCN, initiatives such as this reflect the importance of building bridges between research, education, entrepreneurship, and applied innovation.
Following the success of the first edition, the organizers announced that “U” Hack! Code in Black & White will return in spring 2027, continuing to support technology as a strategic instrument in sports management and performance development.
Event page: Google Developer Groups – “U” Hack! Code in Black & White
Read more: FC Universitatea Cluj – Back on the pitch in 2027!
