Hackathons

Hackathons in the SPARROW Project: Innovation and Collaboration for Digital Resilience

Starting in February 2025, the SPARROW project will launch a series of hackathons focused on digital resilience and innovative solutions in crisis management. These events are designed to foster collaboration among young innovators, startups, developers, and experts from across the EU.

The project uses the Living Lab concept, enabling co-design and co-creation of solutions with the active participation of all key stakeholders. Participants will have access to Open Data following FAIR principles and can contribute to the development of policies, recommendations, and common operational planning guidelines.

The objectives of the hackathons include:

• engaging stakeholders in co-design activities and providing feedback on SPARROW solutions,
• defining challenges for the three main hackathons during the project,
• promoting knowledge sharing, especially in the social sciences and humanities,
• strengthening the community of problem-solvers across disciplines and countries,
• ensuring fair project evaluation with attention to social equality and gender issues.

The hackathons will take place in-person, hybrid, or online, allowing participation from a wide range of contributors. The first event will be held in February in Pilsen, opening the way for further events in other European locations, including Cyprus and Greece. The judging panel will consist of experts, operators, and other relevant stakeholders, and winners will receive both prize money and non-monetary awards.

Through online matchmaking, international teams can be formed, connecting experienced professionals with young innovators and startups. SPARROW hackathons thus not only promote innovation but also strengthen collaboration and community building across Europe.