Join the “IBM Innovation Project – Country Challenge 2026”

Invitation for students:

Join the “IBM Innovation Project – Country Challenge 2026”

Artificial Intelligence changes the word — not only the industry, but also education, job market and everyday life. IBM, a global leader in technology, supports the development of future-ready skills by inviting students to participate in creating AI and Gen AI-based innovative solutions. If you want to really impact the surrounding word, gain a unique experiences, develop your skills, and access IBM technology and expertise — join the IBM Innovation Project initiative.

What is the IBM Innovation Project?

It is an initiative for students who want to develop their own project to address issues of social or business importance using Artificial Intelligence. Participants work on their ideas individually or in teams (3-5 people) and the best teams could be invited to take a part in prestige IBM events – in Poland, Europe, or even around the world.

How to submit your project?

Email the submission to your university IBM collaboration coordinator by the end of June 2026 (see details at the end of the announcement).The submition should include:

• OnePager – short description of the project (problem statement, proposed solutions, applied technologies),
• short presentation,
• information about the team and the number of IBM Digital Credentials the team has.

Formal Requirements:

• Your project has to use artificial intelligence (including generative AI, i.e. IBM watsonx or IBM Granite),
• it has to address an issue of significant social or business importance,
• the team has to have at least 4 IBM Digital Credentials awarded for taking a part in IBM SkillsBuild courses (i.e. in AI, cloud computing, data science, cybersecurity).

Benefits

• IBM recognition certificate for the team members,
• an opportunity for taking a part in IBM Technology and Business Review,
• a chance for presenting the project to IBM experts,
• possible invitation for BM events – i.e. TechXchange (in 2024 students from Germany, Italy, and United Kingdom took a part, in 2025 – students from Mexico and Brazil, maybe in 2026 that would be students from Poland?),
• new skills and digital IBM Badges,
• the potential continuation of the project as an implementation project.

How to begin?

1. Finish IBM SkillsBuild courses and get IBM Digital Credentials – preferably in AI or DataScience.
2. Build a project team  (3–5 people) – name it, choose a leader, define its mission and prefered domain.
3. Work on your idea –  develop an MVP, prepare problem description and the solution architecture, and a demo.
4. Submit youre project to IBM Innovation Project by the end of June 2026.

IBM Innovation Project Awards and Recognitions

Main awards:

1. IBM Innovation Project – 1st Place Award
2. IBM Innovation Project – 2nd Place Award
3. IBM Innovation Project – 3rd Place Award

Additionally, three kinds of recognitions are granted:

1. Recognitions based on project evaluation criteria. They are granted to projects that clearly stand out in a given category.
   For example, in 2025:
   1. Innovation & Creativity
   2. Potential for Commercialisation
   3. Relevance & Usefulness
2. Special recognitions granted for business and scientific maturity of the projects.
   For example, in 2025:
   1. Comprehensive Innovation & Maturity
   2. Applied Science Distinction
   3. AI Implementation Mastery
3. Additional recognitions grated to projects having other significant features.
   For example, in 2025:
   1. Operational Readiness
   2. Engagement & Value Delivery
   3. Data-Driven Excellence

Details

Additional information, including templates for presentations, one-pager, and examples, is provided by the university IBM collaboration coordinator, Arkadiusz Chrobot, PhD (email address: a.chrobot@tu.kielce.pl)

The email with project submission should include the “IBM Innovation Project” phrase and the name of the project in the subject field.