How can entrepreneurial ideas and technological excellence come together effectively in interdisciplinary teams? This is the central question of a joint hackathon hosted by 42 Switzerland and HSG Entrepreneurship, taking place from May 14 to 16, 2024 in St. Gallen.
Six selected start-ups from the HSG incubator will team up with 15 tech talents from 42 Lausanne and Zurich. Over the course of three days, they will co-develop digital prototypes and explore new forms of collaboration – with the goal of learning from each other and growing together.
A Pilot Project for the Future
“This hackathon is more than just a creative format – it’s a proof of concept for a potential long-term partnership between HSG Entrepreneurship and 42 Switzerland,” explains Cristina Bucher, Director of 42 Zurich. “If this experiment is successful, it could eventually lead to the establishment of a dedicated 42 Campus in St. Gallen for start-ups.”
The focus is not on competition or end products, but rather on teamwork, diversity of perspectives, and real-world application. Participants bring different methodological approaches – from entrepreneurial thinking to technical implementation – and complement each other in agile teams.
An Experiment with Vision
The hackathon serves as a pilot initiative to evaluate the potential of a sustained collaboration – with the vision of positioning St. Gallen as a hub for hands-on tech education and entrepreneurship.
The results will feed directly into 42 Switzerland’s strategic development. “Our goal is to locally anchor the bridge between education, innovation, and start-up ecosystems – and St. Gallen would be the perfect place for that,” adds Bucher.
About HSG Entrepreneurship
The HSG Entrepreneurship programme introduces the university community to the many facets of entrepreneurship and promotes technology-oriented and knowledge-intensive startup and innovation projects. Our students, researchers and employees receive support in a variety of ways: through relevant courses, student initiatives or very specific offers from our entrepreneurship centre at the HSG.
About 42 Switzerland
42 Switzerland is a private, non-profit tech education initiative with no formal entry requirements. Training is based on peer-to-peer learning and real-world projects. The first campus in Lausanne already counts over 750 students. The Zurich campus is set to open in 2026.