The launch of the SIREXE Hackathon, a competition bringing together participants to design innovative, practical, and high-impact technological solutions capable of addressing the challenges facing Côte d'Ivoire's mining, petroleum, and energy sectors, was officially announced on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Abidjan-Plateau during the presentation of the competition.
The announcement was made by Mireille Aka, Commissioner General of the International Exhibition of Extractive Resources and Energy (SIREXE), on behalf of the Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly.
Registration and application submissions on the official platform, www.sirexe.ci, will be open from July 13 to August 31, 2026. The competition is open to students, developers, engineers, startups, SMEs, innovative entrepreneurs, researchers, digital technology professionals, project leaders, independent applicants, as well as national and international teams made up of three to five members.
The SIREXE Hackathon features two award categories Open Category and Thematic Category with three prizes awarded in each. The six best innovative solutions will compete in the grand finale before a jury and the SIREXE audience on November 21, according to Arnaud Kouassi, Chairman of the Hackathon Committee. The award ceremony for the winners will take place on November 22.
The first, second, and third prizes are worth CFA 10 million, CFA 5 million, and CFA 2.5 million, respectively. Winners will also receive certificates and medals.
"Natural resources are a source of wealth. But the true wealth of a nation lies in the intelligence of its young people and their ability to innovate. It is this wealth that the SIREXE Hackathon aims to reveal and support," Mireille Aka said.
She encouraged potential participants to seize the opportunity, saying: "Take advantage of this opportunity, dare to innovate, dare to become entrepreneurs, and turn your ideas into concrete solutions that will contribute to the development of Côte d'Ivoire and, more broadly, Africa. I therefore invite you to participate massively in this second edition of the SIREXE Hackathon."
The winning innovations will be unveiled on November 22, 2026, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre, during SIREXE 2026, alongside conferences, panel discussions, and other scientific events included in the exhibition's program.
The inaugural SIREXE Hackathon 2024 attracted strong participation, with 221 teams bringing together more than 600 participants.
SIREXE 2026 will take place from November 18 to 22 under the theme: "Extractive and Energy Industries: What Infrastructure Is Needed to Support Economic Development in Africa?"