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Hacktoberfest Hack Day Galway x Cybersecurity Society, University of Galway logo
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Hacktoberfest Hack Day Galway x Cybersecurity Society, University of Galway

OCT 29Galway, GalwayIn Person
Organized byCCybersecurity Society, University of Galway
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About

Build Open is a Hacktoberfest Hack Day hosted by the Cybersecurity Society at the University of Galway. It is a one-day mini-hackathon where you team up, build a working project with open-source AI tools or open-weight models, and demo it for a chance to win.

You can arrive with an idea or find a team on the day. Over the afternoon you will design, build and present something real, then submit it for the Best Open-Source AI Project challenge.

What you will get

  • A full day of hands-on building alongside other students and developers
  • A participation badge for every attendee
  • A chance to win Best Open-Source AI Project, with a DEV Badge for every member of the winning team

What to bring

  • Your laptop and charger
  • An idea, or the willingness to find a team on the day

Details

  • Date: Thursday 29 October 2026
  • Time: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  • Venue: The Cube, Aras na Mac Leinn, University of Galway, Galway
  • Places are limited, so register early.

Part of Hacktoberfest 2026, in partnership with Major League Hacking.

Prize Categories

2 categories
  • View Best Open-Source AI ProjectDigitalOcean

    Best Open-Source AI Project

    Exclusive Hacktoberfest 2026 Winner DEV Badge & MLH Swag Bag

    Build an original project that uses open-source or open-weight AI as an important part of how it works. Teams could create an agent skill, build with an open-weight large or small language model, or build or adapt an open-source model harness.

    Build with DigitalOceanView category
  • View Best Use of Gemma 4Deepmind Google

    Best Use of Gemma 4

    It’s time to see how much you can build with a lightweight, open model. Gemma 4 packs multimodal intelligence into an open-weights model that you can access through the Gemini API. So, what can Gemma 4 bring to your project?

    • Multimodal Experience: Work with text and images to create an assistant that understands more of what users share.
    • Focused AI Tools: Build a focused AI tool for learning, creativity, productivity, or your community.
    • Rapid Prototyping: Experiment with an open model while using the Gemini API to move quickly from an idea to a working prototype.

    Bring your idea to life… what will you build with Gemma 4 today?

    Build with Gemma 4View category

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