Recently, we proudly sent two of our team members, Elias and Ruben, to Jena to represent Fenego at the Intershop Hackathon. This experience not only provided an opportunity to put our passion for technology into practice and showcase our skills but also to collaborate with talented professionals from other companies, exchanging knowledge.

The outcome? A backpack filled with additional experience and knowledge, along with two well-deserved awards that acknowledged our dedication and innovation. Let's delve into the exciting adventure of Ruben and Elias during this thrilling hackathon.

Ronny Höpfner, VP Channel at Intershop, warmly greeted Elias and Ruben before they delved into the hackathon realm. Intriguing topics were presented, and teams were forged. Elias joined a team dedicated to enhancing Intershop's PWA, while Ruben focused on optimizing the image server.

Fueled by determination, Elias and his team embarked on the journey of launching their project. Despite encountering a few hurdles during the installation of the new Intershop ICM 11, the team of Elias received invaluable assistance from the Intershop headquarters.

Ruben's team delved into the realms of Quarkus and GraalVM, facing challenges such as unexpected Docker dependencies and technical obstacles. Exploring new technology can be tough, but Ruben's determination paid off with great results.

Despite a rocky start, Elias successfully revitalized the project on the second day. The team opted to revamp an existing project, optimizing the backend with mock data for the PWA. They seamlessly integrated a legacy scanner module to showcase the difference to the audience.

Ruben's team, fueled by enthusiasm, tackled the image server transformation from JVM to a native app using GraalVM on day 2. Despite encountering technical hurdles throughout the day, unexpected assistance from the Fedora VM provided the solution. The day concluded with both Docker images (JVM and native) triumphantly uploaded to Docker Hub. A day filled with challenges but culminating in a satisfying outcome.

On the final day, the teams proudly revealed their innovations. After some last-minute refinements and crafting an award-winning presentation, Elias and Ruben's teams presented their scanner module and image server with pride.

The climax arrived with the awards ceremony. Ruben and his team secured victory in the "Quick Win" category for their image server addition, while Elias' team clinched the "Most Customer-Centric" award for the barcode scanner as a PWA module.

As Elias and Ruben returned with their well-deserved prizes, Fenego looks forward to a long-term collaboration with Intershop. While the hackathon may be over, the memories of challenges and victories will continue to resonate in the future. Fenego expresses gratitude to Intershop for the fantastic hackathon and eagerly anticipates participating in the next edition.