International Hackathon · May 2026

Environmental Intelligence for Cultural Heritage & Health

An international innovation challenge dedicated to young talents who want to turn Earth Observation data into solutions for societal impact — organized by ISPRA, the Copernicus National User Forum (FNUC) and ECMWF, with the support of the EU Horizon SD-WISHEES project.

8–10 May 2026
Tecnopolo di Bologna, Italy — ECMWF
Up to 30 participants
Registration closes 20 April 2026
Register Now Download Regulation PDF

The Hackathon Environmental Intelligence for Cultural Heritage and Health is an international innovation challenge dedicated to young talents who want to turn Earth Observation data into solutions for societal impact. Organized by ISPRA, the Copernicus National User Forum (FNUC) and ECMWF, with the support of the EU Horizon SD-WISHEES project, the initiative brings together participants from across Europe and beyond to develop innovative project concepts based on Copernicus data.

All activities, materials and final presentations will be conducted in English.

30
Participants
10
Teams
3
Days
5+
Jury Members
Thematic Challenges

Each team will develop an innovative project concept addressing societal challenges in one of the following areas. Projects must be based on the use of at least one dataset provided by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) or the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

🏛️ Cultural Heritage
🏥 Health
💨 Air Quality
🌍 Climate Change
Who Can Apply

The Hackathon invites up to 30 selected participants from across Europe and beyond. All activities will be conducted in English. Eligible applicants include:

  • University students from Europe and beyond
  • Recent graduates
  • PhD candidates
  • Post-Docs within 5 years of completing their academic path
How It Works

Participants will be divided into a maximum of 10 multidisciplinary and multinational teams, formed by the Organization to ensure a balanced mix of backgrounds and nationalities. Team composition will be finalized 10 days before the event, and members will be put in contact in advance to facilitate team building. Teams will remain unchanged throughout the Hackathon.

01
Apply & get selected. Applications are accepted in chronological order of submission, at the sole discretion of the organizing committee. Registrations are open until April 20th, 2026.
02
Join a multinational team. Balanced, multidisciplinary teams are assigned by the organization — finalized 10 days before the event so members can connect in advance.
03
Build with Copernicus data. Use at least one C3S or CAMS dataset. Ideas evolve into concrete outputs: prototypes, mock-ups, dashboards, or visual communication tools.
04
Pitch to the jury. One representative per team delivers a 10-minute presentation in English. The jury — at least five members — scores each project from 1 to 5 on validity & feasibility, degree of innovation, and communication impact.
Event Schedule & Format

The Hackathon will take place in person at the ECMWF premises, Tecnopolo di Bologna, Via Stalingrado 84/3, 40128 Bologna, Italy. The detailed program will be published on this webpage before the Hackathon start.

Friday, 8 May
2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Participant registration, team formation, and the presentation of the thematic challenges and the available Copernicus datasets.
Saturday, 9 May
9:30 am – 7:00 pm
Fully dedicated to teamwork and project development, with the objective of transforming ideas into structured and innovative solutions.
Sunday, 10 May
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Teams prepare a PowerPoint presentation including an abstract slide. Each team delivers a 10-minute pitch, followed by the evaluation process and award ceremony.
The winning team will be selected from the four highest-ranked teams. Each jury member assigns a score from 1 to 5, based on validity & feasibility, degree of innovation, and communication impact.
Prize
🏆 High-Level Remote Mentoring Program
The winning team will receive a high-level remote mentoring program delivered by leading Earth Observation companies, including technical support to refine the project and strategic business coaching. All participants will receive a certificate of participation. More details on the prizes will be published on this webpage in the coming weeks.
Organized by

This initiative is a joint effort bringing together leading European institutions in Earth Observation and environmental research.

ISPRA Copernicus National User Forum (FNUC) ECMWF EU Horizon SD-WISHEES Project IUSS PAVIA
Organizing Committee
ISPRA: Manuela D'Amen, Antonella Tornato, Stefano Mariani
FNUC / IUSS PAVIA / ISPRA: Andrea Taramelli
ECMWF: Annalisa Buoro, Olga Loegel, Cristina Ananasso, Martin Palkovic
IUSS PAVIA: Giorgia Ghergo
📍 Tecnopolo di Bologna, Via Stalingrado 84/3, 40128 Bologna — How to reach the venue ✉️ webcopernicusufn@isprambiente.it
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