Hanyang University hosts AI agent hackathon with Hyundai NGV

Participants of Hanyang University's hackathon event pose at the school's Chung Mong-Koo Automotive Research Center in Seoul, Jan. 28. Courtesy of Hanyang University

Hanyang University said Wednesday it co-hosted a two-day hackathon with Hyundai NGV, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents capable of solving real-world manufacturing problems.

The event was held Jan. 27-28 at Hanyang University’s Chung Mong-Koo Automotive Research Center, according to the university.

The hackathon was designed as a hands-on program in which participants used real manufacturing process image data to design and implement large language model-based AI agents.

Unlike conventional AI competitions that emphasize quantitative performance metrics, the event evaluated participants on their ability to build active systems capable of decision-making, action execution and iterative reasoning.

A total of 40 Hanyang University students from various academic backgrounds participated in the event.

An university official said students engaged in overnight discussions and development sessions, demonstrating strong commitment and immersion despite the complexity of the tasks. They were also evaluated not only on algorithm implementation but also on the feasibility of deploying their AI systems in real industrial environments.

The hackathon was supported through a collaboration of industry, academia and the private sector. Hyundai NGV provided real manufacturing process data and served as a judge.

Following the final evaluation, eight students were selected for outstanding performance in AI agent design logic and system completeness and received the Hyundai NGV Award, the university said.

A Hyundai NGV official said the experience of designing intelligent systems that independently analyze and act on real manufacturing data would serve as an important foundation for participants as future industrial AI professionals.

“The hackathon served as a practical educational model integrating real corporate challenges into university training,” said Han Kyung-sik, head of Hanyang University’s Industrial AI Talent Development Bootcamp Project Group.

“Hanyang plans to continue close cooperation with industry to cultivate job-ready AI talent aligned with corporate needs,” he added.

The bootcamp project group that organized the event was selected in 2025 for the Advanced Industry Talent Development Bootcamp project, jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education and Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. The program focuses on short-term, intensive, industry-tailored training to meet workforce demands in advanced technology sectors.