DataFest Germany, an annual data-driven competition, colloquially referred to as a “hackathon,” alternates its location between Mannheim and Munich each year. It is organized through partnerships with industry leaders and research institutions. This year, the event was co-hosted at the University of Mannheim by the Chair of Social Data Science and Methodology (School of Social Sciences) and the Mannheim Center for Data Science, with support from BERD@NFDI, GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, KODAQS - Competence Center for Data Quality in the Social Sciences, AIHub@LMU, and the Chair of Statistics and Data Science in the Social Sciences and Humanities at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. KPMG graciously sponsored the event.
Fifteen teams comprised of Bachelor's and Master's students from diverse fields and from different universities across Germany converged in Mannheim, embarking on a 48-hour journey to extract meaningful insights and conduct relevant analyses from an extensive, previously undisclosed dataset. Additionally, for the first time, a contingent of doctoral students and post-docs from KODAQS participated as the sixteenth team. Following a welcoming ceremony on Friday afternoon, the 67 participants enthusiastically dived into visualizing, analyzing, and modeling the data.
Throughout the competition, the students received guidance from a cohort of statistics and computer science experts from the University of Mannheim, alongside professional advisors from partner institutions. On Saturday afternoon, an internal CareerFair provided an opportunity for participants to forge connections with potential employers.
Upon submission of their presentations at noon on Sunday, participants experienced a mix of relief and nervousness, awaiting judgment on whether their intensive efforts would bear fruit and secure prizes in four categories. To sway the jury—comprising Prof. Sarah Detzler (DHBW Mannheim), Prof. Kai Eckert (Mannheim University of Applied Sciences), Prof. Florian Keusch (University of Mannheim), Dr. Polina Mosolova (SAP), and Dr. Ngoc Duyen Tanja Tu (Leibniz Institute for German Language)—teams delivered succinct, four-minute presentations outlining their results and methodologies. The jury commended the diverse and innovative approaches developed by the teams.
The following teams celebrated their achievements, receiving medals, book prizes, and memberships to the American Statistical Association:
- Best Insights: Team “Quanti Quartett” (LMU Munich)
- Best Visualization: Team “Demo-Graphs” (University of Rostock)
- Best Use of Outside Data: Team “The Counterfactuals” (Hertie School Berlin)
- Best Data Quality Insights: Team “Data Shining 2.0” (University of Mannheim & University of Heidelberg)
Datafest Germany follows the model pioneered in the United States, where DataFest™ has been an integral part of the American Statistical Association for several years. The inaugural DataFest occurred at the University of California in 2011, catalyzing the adoption of similar formats by numerous universities globally. Since 2015, the University of Mannheim has spearheaded DataFest Germany in collaboration with the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich.
