USask Students Innovate at Saskatchewan’s Largest Hackathon

Students from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) tackled real-world challenges during the inaugural Saskatchewan Crown Sector Hackathon (SaskHack) held on January 30 and 31, 2023, at the University of Regina. This two-day event saw the participation of 65 students from USask, the University of Regina, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, along with representatives from key Crown corporations in the province, including SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskTel, and SGI.

The hackathon encouraged teams to devise innovative solutions to pressing issues within the Crown sector. Participants were given just 18 hours to form teams, select a challenge, and create a viable solution to present to judges. Dr. Jennifer Lang, Vice-Dean Academic of the College of Arts and Science at USask, expressed her pride in the students’ ability to perform under pressure and contribute to meaningful solutions.

At the outset of the event, participants engaged with executives from the Crown corporations to understand the specific challenges they face. This interaction set the stage for the students to develop practical and applicable solutions. Among the standout creations was a product called SafetyFirst, developed by a team of USask computer science students including Krunal Chavda. This system generates real-time risk scores for employees based on their Occupational Health and Safety form submissions, alerting managers when scores exceed safe thresholds.

Chavda, who received the People’s Choice Award for his pitch, noted the unique scale of this hackathon compared to others he had attended. “Having Crown corporations—some of the biggest employers in the province—come together with post-secondary institutions to address real-life problems adds immense value to our learning experience,” he stated.

Another notable project was SaskVoice, an AI-powered voice assistant designed to enhance customer service for Crown corporations. Developed by a team led by USask student Madesh Thevar, this multilingual assistant secured fourth place in the hackathon. Thevar highlighted the importance of the engagement from senior leaders during the event, saying, “Experiences like that helped bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world innovation.”

Overall, USask emerged as a significant force at SaskHack, claiming five out of the eight awards presented. The top prize of $1,300 went to a team from the University of Regina. The event also featured mentorship and career coaching opportunities for the winning teams, providing invaluable networking experiences with industry leaders.

The success of this hackathon has prompted organizers to consider making it an annual event. “A hackathon really shows how well you can work with a team in a time-constrained environment to develop a product. That’s the real-life skill that matters more than any prize,” Chavda concluded.

The inaugural SaskHack not only showcased the talents of students from USask, the University of Regina, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic but also established a collaborative platform for addressing community challenges through innovation.