Digital Fusion 2026: Igniting ideas and shaping future talent

Digital Fusion returned for its second year, this time bigger, bolder and more inspiring.

Bringing together students from digital, computing, games, cyber, data, and business disciplines for a full day of live skills challenges. This one-day event held on Wednesday 21^st January 2026 featured real-world tasks where students from University Campus Doncaster, University Campus Doncaster (UCDon) and University Campus North Lincolnshire (UCNL), Barnsley College University Centre and UC Sheffield showcased technical expertise, creativity, and problem-solving under pressure.

Programme Leader of Digital Technologies and driving force behind the competition, Aimee Whittaker, explained: “Following the success of last year’s event, we wanted to grow Digital Fusion and broaden the opportunity to compete. By opening the competition to students beyond DNCG and inviting South Yorkshire Institutes of Technology partners to get involved, we’ve been able to introduce new categories that reflect real-world digital challenges.”

 

A day of skills, challenges and innovation

The event was buzzing with creativity and fresh ideas from beginning to end. Students from Business, Software Development, Data Analytics, and Game Development came together to share skills, explore new approaches, and push themselves beyond their comfort zones. Working through complex challenges, they collaborated, experimented, and brought exciting projects to life, all while impressing the judges with their innovation, teamwork, and passion.

Digital & Computing

• Programming: Solve OOP tasks in Python using a base framework, testing problem-solving and real-world interpretation skills.
• Data Analytics: Transform raw datasets into dashboards with Excel, Power BI, or Tableau, focusing on analysis and visual storytelling.
• Cyber Security: Complete real-time Hack The Box CTF challenges to test practical cyber skills and adaptability.
• Database Development: Design and develop SQL databases from business specifications, demonstrating technical and analytical skills.

Game Development

• 3D Modelling: Create a 3D model from a given specification, showcasing creativity and technical skill.
• Game Jam: Build a playable game under time pressure, integrating design, programming, and assets.

Business

• Marketing Mavericks – Brand Revival: Act as marketing consultants to revive a struggling business, developing strategies, presenting solutions, and demonstrating teamwork, creativity, and strategic thinking under time constraints.

 

Celebrating creativity, innovation, and technical excellence

When the competition wrapped up, the top performers were recognised with Digital Fusion medals in each discipline. The gold, silver, and bronze winners truly stood out for their incredible work, but it was clear that every participant had something special to offer.

• Gold medallists were celebrated for their exceptional creativity, innovation, and technical excellence in their respective challenges.
• Silver and Bronze medallists were equally impressive, demonstrating that there’s no shortage of talent across all disciplines.

While the medals were a great way to celebrate the winners, the real value of the day was in the chance for students to showcase their abilities, connect with peers across DNCG and industry professionals, plus gain real-world experience that will serve them well in their future careers.

 

Winners

Programming
Judge Name: Kunal Handa (HE Lecturer)
Gold: Harvey Carolan
Silver: Shaun-Micheal Tai
Bronze: Micheal Slater

Cyber Security
Judge: Siddharth Mathur (Industry Specialist)

Gold: BuggyBanditz (Lucas Lee, Sean Cushman, Norbert Koscielny, Ricky Coleman) – UCDon
Silver: TISM – Barnsley College
Bronze: Entity.exe – Sheffield College

Cyber Security guest judge Siddharth Mathur commented “Events like this, will make students industry ready and specially the HTB challenges where I saw students trying to analyse the TCP connections with Source and Destination ports and trying to understand connection flow and this is what is required by an institution to make its pupil future ready where you and your team are trying to get their conceptual right.”

Database Development
Judges: Chris Stephenson (Director of Business Systems and Information) & Jake Kaye (Business Systems Officer and Previous Gold Medal winner at Digital Fusion 2025).

Gold: Robert Gobeaja
Silver: Jordan Egbury
Bronze: Ben Stoney

3D Modelling
Gold: Lucy Matthews
Silver: Evan Miles
Bronze: Hannah Rickatson

Game Jam
Gold: Lexx Horsfield
Silver: Andreea Epure

Marketing Mavericks – Brand Revival
Gold: Vincent Hinchliffe – UCNL
Silver: Helena Co – UCNL
Bronze: Kellie Marlow – UCNL

 

Jay Blackburn, Team Leader for HE Business and Management at DNCG, whose students took part in the newly added category, summarised, “I’m incredibly proud of our business students who took part in this year’s Digital Fusion. They embraced the opportunity, challenged their creativity, and delivered an innovative marketing concept with confidence, passion, and purpose under demanding competition constraints.”