The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD) has launched the first European Citizens Hackathon Championship to promote greater citizen engagement in climate change research and innovation.

Key Objectives:
Foster the development of climate change solutions driven by citizen needs.
Encourage co-creation involving citizens, industry, cities, regions, public administrations, and research communities.
Support the EU Missions for Smart and Climate-Neutral Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change, empowering citizens to shape the future, mitigate climate impacts, and adapt to climate challenges.

Phase 1: Local Hackathons
Organized by 22 organizations across the EU Member States and associated countries, this phase involves local programming marathons where teams of citizens and researchers compete to develop solutions for climate challenges.
Winning teams will receive training and mentoring through a specialized program to refine their ideas and prepare for the EU-level competition.

Phase 2: European Championship
Winners from the local hackathons will compete in the EU-level hackathon final, set to take place in Autumn 2024. The event aims to crown three European Champions and will primarily be conducted online with support from a selected consortium.

Click here to learn more about the initiative.

Register here for one of the 22 local hackathons, starting May 2024.