JOIST Innovation Park, the University of Thessaly, and eTrikala are organizing an Open Innovation Hackathon in the framework of Innovent Forum 2026. The Hackathon will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at SYNERGEIO Culture Space in Larissa (22 Oikonomou Ex Oikonomon Street), where the finalist teams will present their proposals to the Evaluation Committee, which will select and award the three winning teams.
The objective of the Hackathon is to promote, connect, and reward ideas and proposals that contribute to the innovative resolution of challenges related to the thematic areas listed below, by mobilizing the creative human capital of universities, research centers, and businesses.
Choose a challenge → Create a working group → Submit your proposal → Claim your prizes
The first three teams will receive:
- 1st Prize: €1,000 and a training program developed by Turkey’s Digital Factory MEXT and JOIST
- 2nd Prize: €700
- 3rd Prize: €500
Challenges – Thematic Areas
Energy & Environment
In the context of climate change and the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies, climate neutrality is promoted through the adoption of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), strengthening national and industrial energy independence. This thematic area calls for innovative solutions that support decarbonization and address critical challenges in energy and environmental sustainability.
Indicative Fields of Development
1. Energy Efficiency | Development of solutions targeting:
- Improved energy efficiency
- Wider RES adoption
- Energy storage technologies
- Creation of energy communities
- Enhanced and decarbonized energy grids with economic and/or energy benefits
- Use of digital technologies and AI for optimized energy supply and demand management
- New materials for energy saving and efficiency
- Energy production from bioenergy crops, agrivoltaics, and/or agricultural waste
- Innovation in the production and efficient use of biomethane and/or bio-hydrogen
2. Climate Resilience of Regions | Development of solutions targeting:
- AI and digital tools for forecasting and preventing extreme weather events
- Sustainable, smart, low-carbon cities
- Technologies for pollutant capture
- Products made from recycled materials
- Applications for natural disaster response
Agri-Food Sector in the Green & Digital Transition | Indicative Fields of Development
Indicative Fields of Development
1. Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Agriculture | Solutions targeting:
- Reduction of production inputs
- Lower environmental footprint
- Efficient water management
- Biodiversity protection
- Circular economy applications in agri-food systems
- Reduction of environmental impact in food production and consumption
- Agroecology methods
- Promotion of local and seasonal products to reduce carbon emissions
- Digital education applications and collaborative data-sharing networks
- Transition from climate-neutral to climate-positive agriculture
2. Agrologistics 4.0 | Solutions targeting:
- Energy footprint monitoring across the supply chain
- Food supply chain transparency and food waste reduction
- GHG emissions reduction from farm to shelf
- Innovative processing and smart packaging solutions
3. Interoperability in Agri-Food | Solutions targeting:
- Open-source applications connecting digital infrastructures
- APIs integrating farm management systems, IoT sensors, and logistics platforms
- Cloud platforms aggregating and analyzing heterogeneous data sources
AI & Next-Generation Digital Experiences | Indicative Fields of Development
In the era of rapid AI and digital evolution, a new paradigm of human-machine interaction, creativity, and productivity is emerging. This thematic area invites teams to develop AI-powered, immersive (XR/VR/AR), data-driven, and interactive solutions that create intelligent, personalized, and human-centric digital experiences.
1. AI for Productivity & Creativity | Solutions targeting:
- AI copilots for professional workflows
- Automation with human-in-the-loop models
- Predictive analytics and intelligent dashboards
- AI-supported creative content production
2. Immersive & Phygital Experiences
- XR/VR/AR applications for education and upskilling
- Digital twins
- Gamified learning environments
3. AI for Citizens & Businesses
- Personalized digital services
- Conversational AI for public services and SMEs
- Ethical & Responsible AI frameworks
- Accessibility-enhancing AI solutions
Cybersecurity & Misinformation detection
In an era of increasing cyber threats, hybrid attacks, and rapid misinformation spread, digital resilience is critical.This thematic area calls for innovative solutions leveraging AI, advanced analytics, and secure-by-design architectures for cyber threat prevention and misinformation detection.
Indicative Fields of Development
- Real-time cyber threat detection and response
- Critical infrastructure protection
- Cyber range simulations
- Cyber Maturity Assessment tools
- Deepfake detection technologies
- AI-driven content verification tools
- Digital literacy platforms
Next-Generation Networks & IoT for Smart Cities
The transition to smart, resilient, and sustainable cities requires reliable digital infrastructure, 5G/6G networks, and IoT ecosystems. This thematic area invites solutions leveraging 5G/6G, IoT, edge computing, and data platforms to improve urban efficiency and quality of life.
Indicative Fields of Development
- Smart urban data analytics and dashboards
- Digital twins for cities
- Smart lighting and parking systems
- IoT fleet management
- Mobility-as-a-Service platforms
- Early warning systems
- IoT water and waste management
- Secure IoT architectures
Urban Resilience & Crisis Smart Response | Βy eTrikala, within the framework of the european program SPARROW
In the context of the increasing need to strengthen civil protection and urban resilience against natural and human-made threats (e.g., floods, explosions, fires), the development of intelligent systems that enhance the immediate protection of citizens and support rescue operations is becoming essential. This challenge invites the development of innovative solutions that leverage emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital systems to ensure the safe and efficient guidance of citizens to shelters, while also supporting the work of first responders during emergency situations.
Indicatively, proposed ideas and solutions may focus on:
- Smart and efficient evacuation systems for public or private spaces.
- Camera systems and image processing technologies for detecting individuals in open areas through image analysis.
- Identification of protected (inside shelters) and unprotected citizens in real time.
- Field voice communication systems, providing audio or other forms of guidance directing citizens to the nearest safe and available shelter.
- Shelter mapping and geolocation, integrating city digital maps with shelter databases to enable dynamic routing.
- Aerial or ground unmanned systems (drones or other technologies) to assist in prioritizing vulnerable groups (children, elderly, people with disabilities) during evacuation processes.
- Real-time data provision to crisis management centers regarding the number of citizens still outside shelters.
- Multilingual audio guidance systems for populations of different nationalities.
- Interoperability and smart integration between early warning systems and municipal alert systems.
Objective
The objective of this challenge is to increase the percentage of citizens who can quickly access safe spaces, reduce panic and confusion during crisis situations, and improve the efficiency of evacuation management. At the same time, it aims to enhance the tools and operational capacity of first responders, enabling them to act more effectively without requiring immediate deployment of large numbers of personnel in the field.
Challenge 2: Urban Resilience in the Event of Digital Blackout
In the context of the intensifying climate crisis and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, cities are increasingly facing periods of disruption to digital systems, communications, and navigation networks.
This challenge calls for the development of resilient communication solutions capable of operating without reliance on internet-based data, ensuring essential communication with civil protection services and the dissemination of critical information to citizens.
Indicative areas for innovative ideas and solutions include:
- Rapid identification of accessible shelters, public spaces, and road networks without the use of online data.
- Autonomous rerouting of emergency vehicles, public transportation, and private drivers using offline mapping systems.
- Development of resilient signaling systems and temporary signage in the event of power outages.
- Creation of local communication networks operating without centralized infrastructure, enabling the exchange of essential messages (e.g., “I need help” / “I am safe”) and displaying key points such as drinking water locations, open shops, medical centers, and safe gathering areas.
- Utilization of open municipal data to inform citizens in environments with complete internet disruption.
- Interoperability among first responder systems, enabling coordinated emergency response.
Objective
The objective of this challenge is to foster the development of resilient, decentralized, and operationally autonomous solutions that ensure basic mobility, communication, and access to information during natural disasters and digital blackouts, thereby strengthening operational preparedness and social cohesion within urban environments.
Challenge 3: Flood Prevention and Smart Flood Management
In the context of climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events, urban and rural areas are facing significant risks of flooding. Unplanned urban development, inadequate drainage systems, and the lack of early warning mechanisms further intensify the impact on human lives and critical infrastructure. This challenge calls for the identification and development of innovative, technologically mature, and operationally applicable solutions for the prevention, early warning, and rapid management of flood events, with a strong emphasis on protecting citizens and ensuring the continuity of urban operations.
Indicative areas for innovative ideas and solutions include:
- Development of water-level sensor networks in streams, drainage systems, and stormwater pipelines, transmitting real-time data.
- Use of artificial intelligence to predict overflow risks and identify high-risk areas before flooding occurs.
- Creation of a city digital twin to simulate heavy rainfall scenarios and assess potential impacts.
- Automatic activation of citizen alert mechanisms in case of imminent flood risk.
- Smart management of pumping stations and floodgates to optimize water flow and drainage.
- Provision of dynamic risk maps with suggested safe evacuation or alternative routes.
- Integration of citizen-generated data (crowdsourcing) such as photos or reports of flooded streets.
- Development of nature-based solutions for water absorption, including green infrastructure, permeable materials, and urban wetlands.
Objective
The objective of this challenge is to enable early prediction and reduction of flood risks, protect human life, strengthen the operational preparedness of local authorities, and improve coordination between citizens and civil protection authorities.
Τeams are invited to structure their proposals in response to the selected challenge, focusing on one of the thematic fields outlined above.
Note: Proposals may combine elements from more than one thematic field where relevant.
Submission Information – Deadlines
The submission period opens on the date of publication of this call, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The submission deadline is Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 12:00 AM. Proposals must be submitted in PPTX (PowerPoint) format, with a maximum of 12 slides. Optionally, proposals may be accompanied by a supporting Word document (up to 500 words) including clarifications or additional remarks.
Proposal Structure
- Each team’s proposal must include the following sections:
- Identification of the need / Definition of the action framework (3 slides)
- Existing solutions (1 slide)
- Proposed solution addressing the challenge (2–3 slides)
- Budget (1 slide)
- Team presentation (1 slide)
- Expected results – Risk analysis (1–2 slides)
Participation Terms
- Teams participating in the Hackathon may consist of two (2) to five (5) members.
- Only individuals aged 18 years and above are eligible to participate.
- The maximum number of teams that will participate in the Hackathon is nine (9). In the event that submissions exceed this limit, proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee based on the criteria listed below, which will also be used for the final ranking.
- The Hackathon is open to teams composed of researchers or students (undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral) from one or more academic or research institutions, business executives, startup founders, or any interested individuals.
- An individual may participate in only one team.
- Teams selected to participate in the Hackathon must have a physical presence at the event venue, SYNERGEIO Cultural Space in Larissa (at least one representative per team is required).
Evaluation Process
- Within two (2) days following the submission deadline, proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee based on the criteria outlined below.
- During the competition, each team will present its proposal to the Evaluation Committee, which will be established specifically for this purpose and will consist of academics and representatives from organizations and businesses.
- Team presentations must be concise and focused, with a maximum duration of 5 minutes.
Evaluation Criteria
- Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- The characteristics and composition of the team
- The maturity level of the proposal
- The relevance of the proposal to the selected challenge
- The feasibility and overall realism of the proposal and its components (objectives, budget, expected results)
Intellectual Property Protection
Participating teams retain full and exclusive intellectual property rights over their submitted content. No reproduction, publication, modification, or use of the proposal, in whole or in part, is permitted without prior written consent of the respective team. JOIST Innovation Park, as the main organizer, collects and maintains submitted proposals solely for evaluation purposes within Innovent Forum 2026. JOIST and co-organizers commit not to use or disclose any content beyond this scope without prior written authorization from the rights holders.