On 12 and 13 November 2025, thousands of IT students gathered for Hack the Future, Belgium’s largest hackathon. The challenge: could they crack the complex IT problems set by leading industry players? Piros also put forward a task, one that seemed simple on the surface but proved to be anything but!
With 52 challenges, 60 coaches, 128 prizes, and over 5,000 IT students competing, the two-day hackathon is the largest of its kind in Belgium. As usual, De Cronos Groep organized Hack the Future. Day one focused on development challenges, while day two was all about creative problem-solving. Piros returned this year with a highly practical challenge.
Get your app or website online for real
“IT students learn to develop websites and build applications,” explains Indy Van Mol, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Expert at Piros. “But can they actually get them online?” This was the seemingly simple challenge Piros posed to the IT students. They were each provided with a virtual private server running Red Hat Enterprise Linux. And they were tasked with using it to launch their website or application, managing every step of the process along the way.
The excitement built as thousands of students gathered in the Antwerp Zoo conference center. 40 participating students were divided into 20 teams of two. Piros’ colleagues Merijn, Tim, and Indy coached the students. “Some years ago, when I was a student myself, I never would have dreamed that I would one day be coaching teams at Belgium’s largest hackathon,” Indy says with a laugh.
How did they fare?
While the brief sounded straightforward, the execution certainly wasn’t. Some students found connecting to the VPS alone a difficult hurdle. Others completed the assignment with time to spare and even managed to design their website and application. In the afternoon, they were able to take a walk through Antwerp Zoo to brainstorm fresh ideas.
At the end of the day, the best solutions for each challenge were recognized with impressive awards. “The team that performed best received our jury prize,” says Indy. “Merijn, Tim, and I scrutinized each solution and deliberated for some time. Participants could also vote for their favorites, and the most popular team won the audience award.”
The start of something great
While there were many dazzling prizes to be won at the hackathon, the event can also be the start of something even more valuable: a rewarding career in IT. For De Cronos Groep, the hackathon has become the ideal way to network with universities and colleges, and, most importantly, attract new IT talent. For Piros, it was a great opportunity to talk with a huge number of impressive IT students, and we’re excited to welcome seven new interns we met at the event.
“The range of ability was wide, but it was spectacular to see what these talented students can accomplish in just one day. I found it very rewarding,” says Indy. “The students got to work with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, software they rarely encounter at college. So that was a valuable new experience for them, which will definitely be of benefit to them as they take their first steps in the job market.”
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