As part of its capacity-building and innovation activities, EfxINNOs will organize a series of transnational Hackathons aimed at fostering collaboration between researchers, students, engineers, programmers, environmental scientists, policy experts and young professionals from the Black Sea Basin and the North Aegean Sea regions. These Hackathons will serve as open innovation laboratories where interdisciplinary teams will work intensively on real-world marine environmental challenges using the data, imagery and technological infrastructure developed within the project.
The Hackathons will focus on the development of innovative digital solutions and practical applications supporting marine ecosystem monitoring, biodiversity assessment and sustainable Blue Economy practices. Participants will have access to marine datasets collected by the EfxINNOs monitoring network, including underwater imagery, video streams, sonar outputs and physico-chemical measurements obtained from AUVs, ROVs and buoy systems. Using these datasets, teams will develop Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for seabed habitat classification, marine litter detection, object recognition, benthic habitat mapping and environmental impact assessment.
Special emphasis will be placed on the creation of interoperable and scalable solutions that can support EU marine policies, including the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and biodiversity conservation initiatives. The Hackathons will also encourage the design of user-friendly visualization platforms, decision-support systems and automated monitoring workflows that can assist public authorities, researchers and marine stakeholders in evidence-based decision making.
In addition to technological innovation, the Hackathons will promote knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship and regional cooperation among participating countries. Mentors from academia, research institutes and industry will guide participants through technical sessions, collaborative workshops and problem-solving activities, helping transform innovative ideas into applicable solutions with long-term impact. Awards and recognition will be provided to the most innovative and impactful projects, encouraging further development and potential integration into future marine monitoring and management initiatives.
Through these activities, EfxINNOs will cultivate a dynamic innovation ecosystem that empowers young scientists and professionals, strengthens digital competencies in the marine sector and contributes to the establishment of a sustainable and technology-driven approach to marine environmental protection and Blue Growth across the Black Sea Basin and the North Aegean Sea.