The Digital Earthquake Solutions Hackathon, organized within the scope of ÜNİDES(University Student Societies Cooperation and Support Program)supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, at the Bursa Technical University Library on May 24–25, 2025, was a visionary event where innovative software projects for disaster management competed. 11 teams consisting of students from Bursa Technical University and Uludağ University participated in the competition organized by the BTÜ Industry and Digital Transformation Community. A total of 40 competitors worked hard to produce solution-oriented projects in a 32-hour uninterrupted software development process.

The projects developed in the competition aimed to provide digital solutions for pre-earthquake preparation, instant response and post-disaster recovery processes. Using current technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things(IoT), unmanned aerial vehicles, location-based systems, mobile and web applications, the participants developed various prototypes that will increase the resilience of society against disasters. The projects developed included drone systems that detect destruction, personalized earthquake bag applications, unmanned aerial vehicle networks to establish post-disaster communication infrastructure, artificial intelligence solutions that classify building damage and volunteer coordination platforms. All projects were shaped with a user-oriented approach, considering real disaster scenarios.

The jury of the event consisted of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Software Branch Manager Aykut Seyrek, Smart Urbanism Branch Manager Demet Sinmez, Trex Technology Chief Software Engineer Ali Özgür and Teknasyon Software Developer Semih Kışlar. The jury evaluations were based on criteria such as technical competence, creativity, applicability and social impact.

The first prize in the competition was won by the IHAWK team, consisting of Uludağ University students. The team developed an unmanned aerial vehicle system that can perform post-disaster destruction detection and geographic sectoring. Team members were Merve Subaşı, Ömer Turhan, Mehmet Sahaf Bayrakçı, Mohamad Alchekh and Besmullah Nikzada. The second prize went to the Depremind team, also consisting of Uludağ University students. The team developed an artificial intelligence-supported earthquake bag preparation application that offers suggestions according to the user’s region and special needs. The team included Sahar Zar, Muhammedamin Gebi Sinkero and Ali Abdelrahman. The third prize was won by the LODOS team from Bursa Technical University. The team developed the “IHA-NET: Life-Saving Network” project, consisting of interconnected drones that enable communication after disasters. Canan Bora, Alperen Burak Temiz, Ahmet Güldaş, Tahir Can Kozan and Durmuş Tayyip Üzer took part in the project.

The food sponsor was BURFAŞ, while the award sponsors included Oytaş İnşaat(first prize), Osstart AI(second prize)and Mocky AI(third prize). Osmangazi Municipality provided catering support throughout the competition. In addition, Seniha Özgür, the founder of the Leona Anelia brand, presented special gifts to some participants for their efforts during the competition.