When you pair up for a hackathon, you know you’re in for a long day of problem-solving, intense coding, and a massive intake of caffeine. But when my classmate, friend, and frequent partner-in-crime Bilal Tarfouss and I signed up for Hack The Future 2025 by the Cronos Group, we didn’t realize it would also include a trip to the zoo!
The event took place in the heart of Antwerp, and because of the awesome venue setup, we received free access to the iconic Antwerp Zoo as part of the experience. It’s not every day you get to debug code, optimize databases, and then take a quick break to go clear your head while watching penguins and giraffes.
Bilal and I leaving in the background.
The Challenge: Discoverers of the Great DBArrier Reef
Once the event kicked off, Bilal and I dove straight into our assigned track, which had one of the coolest themes of the day: “Discoverers of the Great DBArrier Reef,” hosted by Monin and Exitas.
The premise was highly creative. We were put in command of a virtual submarine that had suffered a catastrophic failure deep underwater. To save the mission and get our submarine up, running, and safely back to the surface, we had to navigate through several complex technical stages.
The challenge was a fantastic mix of database management, infrastructure optimization, and rapid troubleshooting. Each stage threw a new roadblock at us:
- Analyzing system bottlenecks to restore primary power to the submarine.
- Query optimization and data recovery to get our navigation and communication arrays back online.
- Structuring and securing database pipelines under tight time constraints to ensure the ship could withstand the pressures of the deep sea.
It required us to think quickly on our feet, combine our technical strengths, and communicate perfectly as a team. Bilal and I locked in, knocked down the stages one by one, and had an absolute blast watching our digital submarine come back to life.
The Perfect Brain Break: Exploring the Zoo
One of the best parts about Hack The Future is the atmosphere. The Cronos Group knows that intense mental grinding requires a good mental reset. Whenever we hit a roadblock or finished a major stage of the submarine challenge, Bilal and I took advantage of our free tickets and walked right into the Antwerp Zoo.
Stepping out of a high-tech hacking environment straight into nature was the ultimate brain break. It gave us a chance to relax, chat with other participants in a casual setting, and return to our laptops with a completely fresh perspective.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Hack The Future 2025 was another reminder of why I love the tech community at Howest. Competing in these kinds of challenges alongside friends like Bilal makes the learning process incredibly rewarding. A huge shoutout to the Cronos Group for putting together such a unique event, and to Monin & Exitas for designing a killer database challenge that kept us on our toes.
Our submarine survived the Great DBArrier Reef—now it’s time to see what challenge we tackle next! 🌊🚢
Did you participate in Hack The Future this year? Which track did you choose? Let me know in the comments!