The 5th CASSINI Hackathon is here!

Get ready to apply your skills and knowledge to solve global challenges and make a positive impact! 

We are looking for determined innovators with a passion for developing sustainable solutions! No previous space experience is required. Choose a challenge that interests you, and leverage EU space technologies to positively impact the European defence and security sector! Follow this simple process to get involved:

Explore our theme and challenges

Play an active role in strengthening Europe’s defence and security capabilities with the help of EU space technology! In the 5th edition of the CASSINI Hackathons, innovative go-getters are invited to develop new concepts, products or services that positively impact the European defence and security sector.


We are calling on industrious self-starters to help secure and strengthen Europe and its neighbourhoods. Show off your originality by developing viable solutions that will enhance the competencies of the EU’s defence and security. The hackathon is open to anyone interested in entrepreneurship, the defence industry and EU space technologies. Take on the challenge of your choice using one or a combination of the following tools:

  1. Geospatial information from Copernicus Earth observation data and its services
  2. Satellite positioning and navigation services from Galileo & EGNOS
  3. Emerging digital technology (e.g. machine learning, blockchain, augmented & virtual reality)

Compare our three defence & security related
challenges below:

Challenge #

Enabling cross-terrain mobility

Now, more than ever before, operations involving the movement of units and assets require effective and efficient logistics, often taking place in remote areas with sparse or non-existent road infrastructure. To prevent crises and deploy missions quickly, (whether for defence, search and rescue, emergency response or humanitarian aid) knowledge of the terrain and its accessibility is necessary to enable cross-terrain mobility. Elevation profile, water bodies, vegetation, soil trafficability, and weather conditions should also be considered when moving large ground convoys. 

This challenge calls on tomorrow’s trailblazers to develop innovative concepts or design new products or services that enable cross-terrain mobility for defence forces, emergency response teams, and humanitarian aid forces in a variety of weather conditions. Be sure to leverage European space data and services from Copernicus, Galileo & EGNOS to bring your idea to life. We encourage participants to explore the areas of:

 

  • Up-to-date terrain and environmental intelligence
  • Terrain route plotting (from point A to point B) 
  • Mission planning for defence, security, and emergency response operations
  • Operational logistics for defence, security, and emergency response operations
  • Support for search and rescue operations

Challenge #

Making the seas more secure

As the world’s second largest exporter and the third largest importer, the European Union relies heavily on maritime transport. Unfortunately, these sea routes have come under pressure due to piracy, armed robbery, geo-strategic rivalries, and other organised criminal activities. Illegal fishing, dumping and dredging are also destroying invaluable marine ecosystems. Building up maritime surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities using satellite data could be the most effective response to the EU’s security challenges. 


This challenge calls on tomorrow’s leaders to develop innovative concepts or design new products or services to strengthen maritime intelligence against direct security threats, organised crime, and environmental crime. Be sure to leverage European space data and services from Copernicus, Galileo & EGNOS. We encourage participants to explore the areas of:

  • Detection, identification and tracking of ships and other vessels
  • Monitoring and mapping of security threats at sea
  • Monitoring and mapping of illegal maritime activity
  • Safe shipment route planning
     

 

Challenge #

Protecting our critical infrastructure

Society’s most critical infrastructure systems are regularly exposed to threats that could greatly impact daily life, public services and global supply chains. Cyberattacks, civil unrest, social engineering, sabotage and armed conflict could leave people without access to hospitals, schools, media, or other public services, and severely impair the delivery of goods, services and information. Climate-related disasters like floods, droughts, storms and wildfires could influence operating conditions and capabilities. Luckily, space data could offer a solution by providing intelligence in critical situations when our infrastructure is disrupted.


This challenge calls on tomorrow’s changemakers to develop innovative concepts or design new products or services that assess the risk of disruption to critical infrastructure and plan for mitigation and recovery scenarios. Be sure to leverage European space data and services from Copernicus, Galileo & EGNOS. We encourage participants to explore the areas of: 

  • Monitoring potential threats to critical infrastructure
  • Assessing and forecasting security and environmental risks
  • Identification of weak points in infrastructure networks
  • Mitigation and recovery planning for governments and businesses

The hackathon locations

The 5th CASSINI Hackathon will take place simultaneously across 10 different locations on
24-26 March 2023. Use the interactive map below to discover the locations!

  • Organised by:

    RST-TTO

    Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Organised by:

    ZICER

    Zagreb, Croatia

  • Organised by:

    C.I.P Citizens in Power

    Nicosia, Cyprus

  • Organised by:

    Starburst Accelerator

    Paris, France

    starburst
  • Organised by:

    Design Terminal

    Budapest, Hungary

  • Organised by:

    Planetek Italia

    Bari, Italy

  • Organised by:

    Impact Hub

    Liepaja, Latvia

  • Organised by:

    Blue Dot Solutions

    Gdańsk, Poland

  • Organised by:

    IdEA

    Bucharest, Romania

  • Organised by:

    Ultrahack

    Lulea, Sweden

Demo Day & Awards Ceremony

It's the grand finale! The chosen top ten teams will compete one more time to see who will take home the big prize!

March 30 Thursday
19:00 (CEST)

Introduction

  • Welcome
  • Introduction from the EU Agency for the Space Programme
  • What's ahead tonight
  • Introduction of the jury members
21:08 (CEST)

Awards ceremony

  • Announcement of 3 overall winners
  • Goodbye & See you at the next hackathon!

The hackathon locations

The 5th CASSINI Hackathon will take place simultaneously across 10 different locations on
24-26 March 2023. Use the interactive map below to discover the locations!