Nuremberg | Claude Impact Lab Hackathon

🚀 Claude Impact Lab Hackathon #1 Build AI for good — a one-day social-impact hackathon in Nuremberg📅 Thursday, July 23, 2026 · 1:30 PM–9:30 PM 📍 ZOLLHOF, Nuremberg⚠️ ONLY APPLY IF YOU CAN COMMIT TO THE FULL DAY ⚠️ Limited spots (60 people) and a waiting list. This is a hackathon — teams build together, so a no-show leaves a team a person down. RSVP and don't show → you lose priority for future events. Community over flakiness.What is this?One day. 3 challenges. Real AI prototypes for real social problems. The Claude Impact Lab brings founders, makers, and first-time builders together to tackle impact challenges from our partners at Yunus Social Innovation (YSI) — and ship something that matters by the end of the night.Not sure you're "technical enough"? Good. We want you here. (More on that below.)ZOLLHOF Track — Integration & RecognitionThe real case: In 2012, Germany passed the "Recognition Act" (Anerkennungsgesetz). The goal was simple: make it faster and easier to recognize foreign professional qualifications. The idea was well-intentioned — many skilled workers should have been able to work in their profession sooner. Years later, the results tell a different story. Many migrants still work below their qualification level. Engineers drive taxis. Doctors work as care assistants. The reason: processes are scattered across many authorities, states, and websites. Information is often only available in German, and no one guides people step by step. The lesson: a good law is not enough. Without personal guidance and a clear overview, the potential goes unused.The challenge: Every year, thousands of people come to Germany wanting to integrate and work. They face a maze of authorities, forms, and deadlines. Information on integration and recognition is scattered across many sources: BAMF, the IQ Network, the anabin database, local offices. There is no personal guidance that considers someone's individual situation — profession, family status, language, arrival date. That makes simple questions hard to answer:What should I do next? Will my qualification be recognized in Germany? How long will it take, and what will it cost?Your task: Use AI to turn scattered information into clear, personalized guidance. The format is open: chatbot, assistant, dashboard, or something else. Possible building blocks:Integration Navigator: A multilingual assistant (Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Turkish, English, German) that explains the integration journey — with personalized next steps, required documents, deadlines, and nearby offices.YSI Track — AI-Powered Impact IntelligenceThe real case: In 2006, a well-known shoe brand promised to donate a pair to a child in need for every pair sold. It became world-famous as smart do-good business. Years later, researchers found little evidence it improved health or education — and in some places the free donations undercut local shoemakers. The lesson: good intentions don't guarantee good outcomes. The only way to know if a project helps is to measure it.The challenge: Every year, governments, foundations, and companies spend billions on programmes meant to improve lives — education, healthcare, climate resilience, jobs. They collect huge amounts of data to check if it works: surveys, reports, spreadsheets, interviews. But the data is a mess. There's no shared definition of what impact means or how to measure it, and it's scattered across formats and years even within one organization. That makes basic questions almost impossible to answer:Which programmes work best for a given challenge? What patterns recur across initiatives and organizations? Which projects show early warning signs — or early success?Your task: Use AI to turn messy, scattered data into something clear and useful — a tool that helps organizations understand their own impact instead of drowning in it. Format is up to you: dashboard, chatbot, report generator, or something else. Real, anonymized impact data will be provided.Wildcard Track:Participants can come up with their own challenge that drives social impact or bring one with them.How it worksWho should come?Anyone who wants to build AI for good — founders, side-project hackers, students, designers, researchers, and curious first-timers. All skill levels welcome.And this matters: we especially want people with lived experience of these problems, not only engineers. The best work on bias and impact happens when the people affected are building the solution — not just being built for. If a challenge speaks to you, you belong here, whatever your background.English & German-speaking. Bring your laptop.The prize 🏆The winning team walks away with:No strings attached — winners are free to take their idea forward, or not. If you do want to keep going, we'll help you.How we judgePerksRules✅ RSVP = show up (no-shows lose future priority)✅ Build for impact✅ Share knowledge openly✅ Help others when they're stuck✅ Bring an open mind — and your laptopAbout ZOLLHOFWe're hosting at one of Germany's fastest-growing tech incubators. ZOLLHOF has supported 100+ startups since 2017 (70% still thriving) and was recently named one of Europe's leading startup hubs by the Financial Times. Located in a renovated historic customs building next to Nuremberg Central Station, with 2,800m² of flexible workspace. Part of the €30M ZOLLHOF Factory initiative backed by Siemens, Schaeffler, and other major corporates to make Northern Bavaria a leading startup destination.Sponsored by the official Anthropic Claude Community programme & supported by YSI.See you there! 🚀