The 2026 edition of Manuthon®, the manufacturing hackathon organised by AITeM – the Italian Manufacturing Association, took place on 8–9 May at The Social Hub Belfiore in Florence. The event brought together 110 students and recent graduates from 12 Italian universities, who worked for more than 30 consecutive hours on challenges proposed by leading industrial organisations.
The initiative involved university students, PhD candidates and recent graduates, who were tasked with tackling real-world challenges related to advanced manufacturing, the circular economy, additive manufacturing and structural integrity in multidisciplinary teams. Once again, Manuthon® proved to be not only a competition, but above all an opportunity for universities, companies and young talent to meet, exchange ideas and collaborate in an innovation-driven environment.
The 2026 edition featured four main challenges proposed by companies and industrial partners. AltFormpresented a challenge focused on the automatic detection of anomalies in metal 3D printing processes through image processing techniques. Baker Hughes_addressed advanced industrial issues within the energy and manufacturing sectors. Consorzio Reuman / BORG Automotive Groupproposed a challenge related to the circular economy and the management of return flows in automotive remanufacturing. The Italian Institute of Welding (IIS)presented a case study on the structural integrity of welded components subjected to fatigue loading. The event was also supported by Oniro which participated as Silver Partner.
The overall winners of Manuthon® 2026 were the Polimarche Manuteam, a team composed of students from Marche Polytechnic University and Sapienza University of Rome, who competed in the AltForm challenge. The Baker Hughes challenge was won by BSCT Engineering, a team of students from the University of Florence. The winner of the Reuman Consortium / BORG Automotive Group challenge was Scanditalian Team from the Polytechnic University of Turin. Finally, the challenge proposed by the Italian Institute of Welding was won by Team Naples Engineers, composed of students from the University of Naples Federico II and the University of Salerno.
Throughout the two-day event, participants worked closely with industry representatives, academics and researchers, developing not only technical expertise but also essential transferable skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, time management and public speaking. The preparatory “Thematic Cafés” also attracted strong participation, providing online discussion sessions that enabled students to explore the challenges in greater depth and engage directly with the companies prior to the final event.
The enthusiasm shown by participants, the high quality of the proposed solutions and the strong engagement of both students and companies once again demonstrated the value of Manuthon® as a platform for collaboration, learning and professional growth within the Italian manufacturing community.
AITeM would like to thank all partner companies, participants, members of the Organising Committee and the universities involved for their contribution to the success of the event.
We look forward to seeing you at the next edition!
To find out more about Manuthon®: https://www.manuthon.it/
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