ABB Accelerator 2026

Overview

ABB Accelerator 2026 - Accelerating Innovation for a Smarter, More Sustainable Future

The ABB Accelerator 2026 is ABB's flagship engineering innovation challenge, designed to bring together the brightest students, engineers, developers, and innovators from across the United States to solve real-world industrial challenges.

As industries continue to embrace digital transformation, electrification, automation, and artificial intelligence, there is a growing need for innovative solutions that improve operational efficiency, reliability, sustainability, and decision-making. Through this hackathon, ABB aims to foster breakthrough ideas that can shape the future of intelligent industries while empowering participants to apply their technical expertise to real business problems. The proposal frames the program around ABB's leadership in electrification, automation, robotics, digital solutions, and building the next generation of engineering talent.

Participants will collaborate in teams to design and develop innovative solutions across emerging technology domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Industrial Automation, Predictive Maintenance, Robotics, Digital Manufacturing, and Intelligent Engineering Systems. Throughout the competition, teams will transform ideas into working prototypes, demonstrate technical excellence, and compete for a chance to present their innovations during the onsite Grand Finale at ABB's Fort Smith, Arkansas facility.

Explore Career Opportunities with ABB

Your participation in ABB Accelerator 2026 could be more than an opportunity to showcase your technical skills. The hackathon is also a chance to get noticed by ABB’s engineering and technology teams and demonstrate your problem-solving, innovation, and technical capabilities through a real-world challenge. High-performing participants may have the opportunity to be considered for future career and talent opportunities with ABB, subject to business requirements and applicable selection processes.

Prizes

Objectives

The ABB Accelerator aims to:

Foster innovation by solving real-world industrial and engineering challenges.
Encourage the application of AI and digital technologies to advance industrial automation and sustainability.
Provide participants with hands-on experience in designing practical, scalable engineering solutions.
Connect emerging talent with ABB's engineering and technology ecosystem.
Recognize and celebrate innovative ideas with the potential to create meaningful industry impact.

Focus Areas

Innovate across the technologies powering the future of industry.

Eligibility

Open to students currently enrolled in accredited colleges and universities across the United States.

Each participant may be a member of only one team.

Teams must adhere to the official hackathon rules and code of conduct.

Themes

Choose one of the two challenge themes and build a solution that addresses the problem statement and objectives of the selected theme. Teams are encouraged to leverage the suggested technologies while developing innovative, scalable, and impactful solutions.

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Overview

Your solution could include

Suggested Technologies

Hackathon Timelines

Three Phases. One Mission - engineer the future.

What to Submit

Submit a complete solution that demonstrates innovation, technical excellence and real-world impact.

Project Summary

A brief overview of your solution, the problem it solves, and its impact.

Working Prototype

A functional prototype or proof of concept demonstrating your solution.

Demo Video

A concise walkthrough showcasing your solution, key features, and functionality.

Source Code

A link to your GitHub or other code repository containing the complete source code.

Technical Documentation

Documentation explaining the solution architecture, technologies used, implementation approach, and setup instructions.

Presentation Deck (Optional)

A presentation highlighting the problem statement, solution, technical architecture, business impact, and future scope.

Judging Criteria

Criteria

Description

Weightage

Innovation & Creativity

Originality of the idea and its potential to solve real-world industrial challenges.

20%

Technical Excellence

Quality of implementation, architecture, engineering practices and effective use of recommended technologies.

25%

Problem-Solution Fit

Alignment of the solution with the selected challenge theme and its objectives.

20%

Scalability & Feasibility

Practicality, scalability and potential for real-world adoption.

15%

User Experience

Usability, design, functionality and overall user experience.

10%

Presentation & Demo

Clarity of the solution, demonstration quality and communication of impact.

10%

Rules & Guidelines

Please read these carefully before submitting your project.

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Participants must register through the official hackathon microsite.

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Teams may submit only one project.

✓

Participants must choose one challenge theme for their submission.

✓

All submissions must be original work developed during the hackathon period.

✓

Open-source libraries and publicly available frameworks may be used with proper attribution.

✓

Teams must submit all required deliverables before the submission deadline.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Plagiarism, IP infringement, or unethical conduct may result in disqualification.

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ABB reserves the right to modify schedules, rules, or evaluation if required.

✓

Participation implies acceptance of all official contest rules and judging decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate?

The hackathon is open to eligible participants enrolled in accredited colleges and universities across the United States.

How do I participate?

How many challenge themes can I choose?

Teams must select only one challenge theme for their submission.

Can I participate individually?

Please refer to the final eligibility criteria published by ABB regarding individual participation.

What should my submission include?

Each submission must include a Project Summary, Working Prototype, Demo Video, Source Code Repository, Technical Documentation, and an optional Presentation Deck.

Can we use open-source tools and AI frameworks?

Yes. Teams are encouraged to use open-source technologies, AI frameworks, and development tools, provided they comply with the applicable licensing terms.

How will projects be evaluated?

Projects will be evaluated based on innovation, technical excellence, alignment with the selected challenge theme, scalability, user experience, and presentation.

How many teams will qualify for the onsite hackathon?

The top-performing teams from the Prototype Phase will be invited to participate in the onsite hackathon at ABB's Fort Smith, Arkansas facility.

Where will the onsite hackathon take place?

The onsite hackathon will be held at the ABB Fort Smith, Arkansas facility.

Who owns the intellectual property of the submitted solution?

Intellectual property ownership and usage rights will be governed by the official contest Terms & Conditions published by ABB.

Where can I get help during the hackathon?

Participants can raise queries through the official support channel available on the hackathon platform.

Can I modify my submission after uploading it?

Yes. Teams can update their submission until the submission deadline. Once the submission window closes, no further modifications will be permitted.