Santa Cruz Boosts Open Innovation with TecnoHack for Digital City

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is boosting its efforts in open innovation and getting residents involved in making the city more digital. The city council announced that its Tecnológica Santa Cruz 2026 initiative is holding a new edition of its hackathon, TecnoHack. This event brings together teams with different skills to create digital solutions using public data, aiming to make the city more sustainable and technologically advanced.

Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez stressed how important this event is for giving residents the power to become active participants in creating technological tools that directly improve urban life. Hackathons are a quick way to solve complex problems, encouraging creativity and teamwork. Using open data also promotes transparency and efficiency in public services, allowing developers to build applications and services that meet real community needs.

Registration for TecnoHack is now open on the website www.tecnologicasantacruz.com. The event will take place at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) from March 20 to 22. Carmen Pérez, the councilor for the Development Society, explained the main challenge: to create tools using open data that will help Santa Cruz de Tenerife become more digital and sustainable.

Over three days of focused work, 40 participants, divided into eight teams, will transform an initial idea into a working prototype or a navigable demonstration. Pérez also highlighted the knowledge areas that will be emphasized, including web and application development, data processing, product design, user experience (UX), and interface design. Technical skills in areas like programming and artificial intelligence will be especially valued. Teams will receive ongoing support through mentoring and 30-minute training sessions before presenting their projects to the jury.

The event kicks off on Friday, March 20, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with in-person registration, accreditation, and material distribution. This will be followed by an opening session that includes team-building activities and skill assessment. Development sessions will continue on Saturday, March 21, from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and on Sunday, March 22, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Pérez noted that each participant must bring their own computer equipment to work during the event.

After the development sessions and project presentations, the jury will evaluate the proposals and award first and second prizes in the categories of Innovation, Technical Viability, and Usability/UX. A special recognition will also be given for team spirit. Tecnológica Santa Cruz is organized by the Development Society of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council.