The national round of the Global HackAtom student championship – an intensive 24-hour contest challenging participants to develop practical, innovation-driven solutions in nuclear technologies – has been recently held in Namibia.
This year’s edition features national selection rounds in 15 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Hungary, Vietnam, Egypt, and others. The winning teams from each nation will compete for the Global HackAtom Champion title.
The Namibian event was organised by the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) with the support of the Russian State Corporation Rosatom.
The judging panel brought together leading experts from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after R. E. Alekseev, and the University of Namibia (UNAM).
This year’s challenge tasked students with designing a comprehensive solution for the sustainable energy supply of southern Africa’s coastal regions – using Floating Power Units (FPUs) as a case study based on Namibia’s specific conditions.
Teams were required to evaluate the technical potential of nuclear energy, assess geological risks such as seismic activity and tsunamis, and present an economic rationale for their selected FPU design.
Twenty teams from across Namibia competed, with “NamHack Innovators” from the University of Namibia claiming first place. The team will now represent the country at the Global HackAtom 2026 Grand Final in Russia this September.
“For Namibia, the Global HackAtom championship is more than a competition – it’s an important platform for developing engineering thinking, research culture, and young people’s interest in cutting-edge energy technologies,” highlighted CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa Ryan Collyer.
“It’s inspiring to see universities, experts, and young professionals come together to tackle real-world challenges that contribute to sustainable development across the country and the region.”
The captain of the winning team “NamHack Innovators” Lemmy Nyambe described the experience as transformative.
“Participating in the Global HackAtom has been both inspiring and invaluable,” said Nyambe.
“It allowed us to apply what we’ve learned in a real-world setting while strengthening our teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills under tight deadlines.
“We are honoured to represent Namibia at the finals in Russia and grateful to the organisers and partners – Rosatom, RUDN University, MEPhI, and the University of Namibia – for this opportunity.”
In the coming years, Rosatom plans to launch a uranium mining operation in Namibia. The project, focused on exploration and extraction, is being implemented by Uranium One Group.
Geological surveys have already confirmed the discovery of a major uranium deposit in the Omaheke region. The deposit will be developed using in‑situ recovery (ISR) technology – a safe and proven method successfully employed in Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States, and a number of other countries.
Uranium is one of six minerals designated by the Government of Namibia as strategically significant and a vital resource to the development of the country.
In the photo: GLOBAL REPRESENTATION … NamHack Innovators from the University of Namibia, which won the first place at the national HackAtom contest. The team will now represent the country at the Global HackAtom 2026 Grand Final in Russia in September.
