Mbarara University of Science and Technology has recorded a major national milestone after two of its students emerged among the top winners, taking 1st and 2nd place overall at the recently concluded Industry 4.0+ Hackathon themed “Sovereign Cloud.”
The hackathon was hosted by the Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat (Industry 4.0+ Bureau) under the Office of the President, in partnership with ABQ and the Engineering Development and Innovation Centre (EDIC). The event served as a precursor to the official launch of Uganda’s Sovereign Cloud Platform (ABQ). From over 400 national applicants, only 15 teams were shortlisted, with four winners ultimately selected.
The Winning Innovations
Each winning team received UGX 2.5 million in seed capital, one year of ABQ cloud credits, one year of internet support, and professional incubation at the Deep Tech Center of Excellence
- First Place: Balinda Mubarak, from Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Bachelor of Computer Science III, won with Fortress Stack a secure, on-premise AI infrastructure designed to support sovereign and locally controlled AI deployment.
- Second Place: Adam Katongole, from the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Bachelor of Civil Engineering III, secured second place with Virtura a digital infrastructure platform enabling immersive virtual tourism and intelligent trip planning.
The awards were presented by Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, during the official ABQ launch at the Deep Tech Center of Excellence.
A message from the Vice Chancellor
In light of this remarkable success, the Vice Chancellor of MUST, Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, shared a message of pride and encouragement:
“On behalf of the entire Mbarara University of Science and Technology community, I wish to extend my heartiest congratulations to Balinda Mubarak and Adam Katongole for their stellar performance at the National Industry 4.0+ Hackathon.
Your success is a vivid reflection of the MUST mission: to provide high-quality education and conduct research that drives community development. By mastering ‘Deep Tech’ and ‘Sovereign Cloud’ solutions, you have demonstrated that our students are not just learners, but innovators capable of solving real-world challenges. You have proven that MUST is a powerhouse of science and technology, and your achievements inspire us to continue fostering an environment where ideas transform into impactful reality.
We are incredibly proud of you for flying the MUST flag so high on the national stage. Well done!”
