First, let's get the basics right: what is a Hackathon?

It's a collaborative event where employees from different fields come together to solve a problem or create innovative solutions within a limited timeframe, typically 1 to 3 days.

A theme is chosen, teams are formed, they brainstorm, test, and then present their ideas in the form of a pitch at the end. It’s an intense experience and often an opportunity to bring out ideas that might never have emerged in a traditional work environment!

The idea of the hackathon came quite naturally, as it's a tool we regularly use in innovation. Our Innovation team, in collaboration with the Skilling team, wanted to test this format that focuses on the needs and challenges of the business to create solutions.

Why the focus on AI in particular?

Because it is THE technology with the highest adoption rate, both among individuals and within businesses.

And because we must keep up with the times. Across several departments at Baloise, we have concrete initiatives centered around AI that we must continue testing, adopting AI with proper governance. Our employees must be at the heart of this approach.

Moreover, for all these reasons, and because we know that AI can be intimidating, another goal of this Hackathon was to demystify its approach and show how it can be applied concretely in our professions.

Creating new perspectives

Six teams, consisting of employees from various departments, worked together throughout the day, combining diverse skills, expertise, and viewpoints.

The diversity of participants stimulated discussions and fostered the emergence of innovative and impactful ideas. Supported by expert coaches, the teams collaborated to design creative solutions tailored to the internal needs of the business, which had been submitted by employees in advance.

At the end of the intense day, the jury, made up of innovation experts and members of management, selected two projects that stood out due to their strong potential for transformation and will now be put into production.

This hackathon helped uncover the potential of AI to optimize our processes, enhance relationships with clients and partners, and support our teams in high-value tasks. It serves as a powerful lever for rethinking our practices and strengthening our ability to anticipate, personalize, and innovate, complementing our human expertise.