Real problems.Real prototypes.
Claude Impact Lab is a one-day social-impact hackathon in Nuremberg. Three challenges from Fraunhofer IIS and the City of Nuremberg, teams of up to four, and a working prototype to pitch before the night is out.
- When
- 5 Oct · 12:00 – 20:00
- Where
- Fraunhofer IIS
- Teams
- Up to 4
- Projects submitted
- 14
One day. Three challenges. Real Nuremberg problems.
The Claude Impact Lab brings founders, makers and first-time builders together to tackle challenges set by our partners — Fraunhofer IIS and the City of Nuremberg's Wirtschafts- und Wissenschaftsreferat — and to ship something that matters by the end of the night. Not sure you're "technical enough"? Good. We want you here.
The best work on impact happens when the people affected are building the solution, not just being built for.
Three challenges. Pick one.
Two from Fraunhofer IIS, one from the City of Nuremberg. Teams pick theirs at 12:45.
Express buses, despite a driver shortage
Nuremberg has enough buses to run more express services — what it doesn't have is enough drivers. Timetables, routes, rotas and vehicle availability all have to line up before a single extra line can run.
How can AI help optimise timetables, routes, rotas and available resources so extra express buses can launch with as little extra staff as possible — or with the staff already there? Think optimisation that brings demand, passenger flows, timetables, vehicles and staffing together to surface the most efficient operating scenarios.
The vegetable market of the future
The vegetable market sits on the Hauptmarkt, where urban planning and logistics pull against each other. Moving it — towards the Lorenzkirche, or into the ground floor of the former Kaufhof — raises the same question every time: where does a market work for traders, residents and visitors alike?
How can AI simulate and evaluate potential locations to find the fairest, most attractive site? Weigh accessibility, walking distances, visitor flows, retail mix and a fair spread of foot traffic — then forecast the flows, score the options, and recommend how to steer visitors and bring the surrounding shops and public space in.
AI for Good in Nuremberg
Nuremberg wants to be more sustainable, innovative and liveable — but no single stakeholder can solve its big challenges. Knowledge, data and expertise sit scattered across the city administration, businesses, start-ups and research.
How can businesses, the city, start-ups and researchers use AI to build something concrete that benefits Nuremberg as a whole, not just individuals? Pick your focus: mobility & urban space, sustainability, participation & administration, community & volunteering, or location & knowledge. Want a sharper brief? Municipal information that works for a multilingual city, heat-hotspot models, or matching volunteers to the clubs and initiatives that need them.
Start with the city's own numbers
Sent over by the City of Nuremberg for the challenges: statistics, key figures and geodata to build on.
Nuremberg as a business location
The City of Nuremberg's economic development pages: key figures on population, jobs and the economy, local companies, the labour market and the city's 2026 position report.
www.nuernberg.deGeoportal Bayern — search for Nürnberg
Bavaria's official geoportal, already searched for Nürnberg: geodata sets with map services (WMS/WMTS) and downloads, free to use and mostly open data.
geoportal.bayern.de
Eight hours, coffee to prizes
Doors at 12:00, hacking from 13:00, pitches at 18:30, winners at 19:40.
- 0112:00Doors open
Check in, grab coffee, set up.
- 0212:30Welcome
Intro to the challenges and our partners.
- 0312:45Team formation
Teams of up to 4. Pick your challenge.
- 0413:00Hacking begins
Mentors circulate to help.
- 0516:30Dinner break
Food, a breather, a look at what the other teams are doing.
- 0617:00Back to building
Finish it, then get it pitch-ready.
- 0717:30Submissions open
Submit your project before the pitches at 18:30.
- 0818:30Team pitches
About 2 minutes per team.
- 0919:40Judging, winners & prizes
The jury announces the winning team.
- 1019:50Celebrate & network
Meet the other teams, the mentors and the partners.
- 1120:00Wrap up
Doors close.
Times are our plan for the day rather than a contract — the hosts will call the room if something shifts.
The vibe
English & German, both fine all day. You don't need to be technical to be useful here — mixed teams build better things. Mentors circulate from 13:00 to unstick you. Bring a laptop and expect to use it.
Who should come
Anyone who wants to build AI for good — founders, side-project hackers, students, designers, researchers and curious first-timers. Especially people with lived experience of these problems: commuters who rely on the buses, market regulars, neighbours who just care about their Kiez. If a challenge speaks to you, you belong here.
What's in it for you
Free, always will be — and built so you leave with a prototype, not a tote bag.
Four criteria, two minutes
What the jury scores every pitch on. Build towards them.
How original is the idea? Say what's new about your angle, not only what it does.
Could this actually be built and used? Show what runs today and name what's stubbed.
Does it create real social value? Name who in Nuremberg it helps, and how you'd know.
How clearly and convincingly do you tell the story? Two minutes: open with the problem, then show the thing.
Pitches start at 18:30, about two minutes per team, in the order the hosts call. Judging, winners and prizes at 19:40. Submissions open at 17:30; get yours in before 18:30 — the running order comes straight off the list.
What the winners take home
The winning team gets 1 month of Claude Max 20x. Announced at 19:40.
More prizes are being finalised and will be announced soon. No strings attached: winners are free to take their idea forward, or not. If you do want to keep going, we'll help you.
Who's running the day
On the floor all day, along with the mentors. Grab any of us — that's what we're here for.
- Michael Whelehan
Claude Community Ambassador · Applied AI
- Alexander Eiswirth
Freelance agentic AI engineer, cloud & software architect
Community over flakiness
Five simple expectations. They keep every team whole and the room generous.
RSVP = show up, for the full day. A no-show leaves a team a person down, and loses you priority for future events.
Build something that helps Nuremberg, not just something that looks clever.
Trade tips, post your repo, paste your prompt.
If someone's stuck and you can unstick them, do it.
And your laptop.
Fraunhofer IIS
Huge thanks to Fraunhofer IIS for hosting us at their Nuremberg site. The lab is sponsored by the official Anthropic Claude Community programme and supported by Fraunhofer IIS, NIK and the City of Nuremberg.
Fraunhofer IIS's Nuremberg site in Nordostpark — one of the largest institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe's leading organisation for applied research. It co-developed the mp3 format and works today across audio and media, communications, imaging, positioning and, increasingly, AI systems for industry, mobility and society.
Built something today?
Submissions open at 17:30. Get your project in before pitches at 18:30 — fill in the form, or wire up the MCP server and let Claude do it for you.