AI Tournament at Interclean 2026: Where young talent meets the future of cleaning
Amsterdam — April 2026
Last week, the RAI Amsterdam became the stage for something truly special. At Interclean Amsterdam 2026 — the world’s leading trade event for the cleaning and hygiene industry — 80 international students from Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences took part in the Interclean AI Tournament, a high-energy competition where artificial intelligence met real-world cleaning challenges.
FacilityApps is proud to have sponsored the tournament, which was organised by our CEO Dirk Tuip together with colleagues from the Facility Data Standard and Interclean Amsterdam. In the weeks leading up to Interclean, Dirk and a mentor team prepared and coached the students, challenging them to rethink an industry that is often overlooked but essential to everyday life.
Sixteen teams developed AI-driven concepts across hospitality, healthcare, offices and public infrastructure. On the main stage, the eight finalists pitched ideas ranging from AI-powered quality control with image recognition, to smart hotel communication tools using QR codes and AI translation, to drone-based cleaning for hard-to-reach hospital areas. After an intense day of pitches, Team 8 took home the win with their drone concept for hospital environments, followed by Teams 4 and 11.
“This tournament is THE example of how we connect young people to our cleaning industry, while at the same time showing what the power of AI can do for cleaning.” — Dirk Tuip, CEO FacilityApps
The energy, creativity and ambition the students brought to the stage confirmed something we at FacilityApps deeply believe: the future of cleaning is smart, data-driven — and it belongs to the next generation.
Aftermovie AI Tournament – Interclean Amsterdam 2026
