EU Sparks for Climate

EU Sparks for Climate Final

10-11 October 2024

EU Sparks for Climate is reaching an important milestone: the final hackathon event.

Over the past 6 months, EU Sparks for Climate brought together more than 300 young people, students, researchers, innovators, and engaged citizens across 14 events. A total of 74 teams from 22 EU Member States and 7 Horizon Europe Associated Countries came together to turn research and knowledge into practical solutions for tackling climate change in their communities helping to achieve the objectives of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

Join the event where you will discover innovative solutions developed by citizens and researchers from across Europe.

Watch the live stream!

Agenda Day 1: 10 October 2024

14:00 – 17:00 (CEST time)

The winning teams from the local hackathons will have the opportunity to present their solutions to a broad audience. Citizens, researchers, innovators, policy makers, local authorities, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders will have the chance to engage with the teams and learn more about their projects and how they will help address climate change. Experts from the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities will join the discussion and explore how the developed innovation solutions support the objectives of these Missions.

– Day 1 will be webstreamed –

14:00	Opening and welcome. Miguel Ángel García-Fuentes \| EU Sparks for Climate Project Coordinator. Egoitz Zarallo \| EU Sparks for Climate Deputy Project Coordinator.
14:05	Meet the 27 winning teams participating in the final moderated by: Miguel Ángel García-Fuentes \| EU Sparks for Climate Project Coordinator. Iphigenia Pottaki \| Policy Officer for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.
14:45	Citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation: innovative solutions, better policy making. Francesco Molinari \| Independent researcher and Policy Advisor.
14:55	Citizen engagement in the EU Missions. Anthony Zacharzewski \| President of Democratic Society aisbl.
15:05	Panel 1. Introduction. Laura Hetel \| Policy Officer for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission. Engaging citizens developing new solutions for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Jorn Verbeeck \| Member of the Advisory Board of EU Sparks for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Presentation of solutions of the teams and questions from the audience moderated by: Laura Hetel \| Policy Officer for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission. Presenting teams: Allium \| BEEnergy \| City Layers \| CoolShade Solutions \| deICE \| Eco Innovation Enthusiasts \| Ecoluverra \| Green Cool Innovators \| Heat Busters \| Heat Fighters \| HempSustain Builders \| PolycycleHomes \| Smog Busters Alliance
15:55	Panel 2. Introduction. Federico Porrà \| Policy Officer for the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission. Engaging citizens developing new solutions for Adaptation to Climate Change. Elena López Gunn \| Member of the Advisory Board of EU Sparks for the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. Presentation of solutions of the teams and questions from the audience moderated by: Federico Porrà \| Policy Officer for the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission. Presenting teams: AquaSmart \| Climate Risks’ Fighters \| Eat Green \| Food rescuers \| Green Team \| Hydro-Cycle \| Lagom \| Pesticide Buster \| Plimira \| The Nettuniani \| ToysAreGreen \| Veles Solutions \| Vertifarm \| Vlora Green Harvest Guardians
16:50	Learnings from EU Sparks for Climate from a local host. Roberta Talarico \| President of AL-Green and EU Strategic Advisory.
16:55	Closing. Miguel Ángel García-Fuentes \| EU Sparks for Climate Project Coordinator. Iphigenia Pottaki \| Policy Officer for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.

Agenda Day 2: 11 October 2024

9:00 – 16:30 (CEST time)

Winning teams from across Europe will showcase their solutions online, without public audience participation, to a jury panel of high level experts gathered in Brussels to select the three teams that will become the European Citizens Hackathon Champions!

– Day 2 will not be webstreamed –

09:00	Opening and introduction of the jury. Maria Cristina Russo \| Director for Prosperity. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.
09:20	Pitching of solutions. Moderated by: Miguel Ángel García-Fuentes \| EU Sparks for Climate Project Coordinator. Pitching teams: Allium \| AquaSmart \| BEEnergy \| Heat Busters \| Climate Risks’ Fighters \| CoolShade Solutions \| deICE \| Eat Green \| Eco Innovation Enthusiast \| Ecoluverra \| Food rescuers \| Green Cool Innovators \| Green Team \| City Layers
11:10	Coffee break.
11:20	Pitching of solutions. Moderated by: Egoitz Zarallo \| EU Sparks for Climate Deputy Project Coordinator. Pitching teams: Heat Fighters \| HempSustain Builders \| Hydro-Cycle \| Lagom \| Pesticide Buster \| Plimira \| PolycycleHomes \| Smog Busters Alliance \| The Nettuniani \| ToysAreGreen \| Veles Solutions \| Vertifarm \| Vlora Green Harvest Guardians
13:00	Lunch break.
13:30	Jury deliberation to decide the 9 finalists. Moderated by: Ioannis Sagias \| Deputy head of unit for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.
14:30	Announcement of the 9 finalists. Ioannis Sagias \| Deputy head of unit for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.
14:45	The finalists answer questions from the jury. Moderated by: Miguel Ángel García-Fuentes \| EU Sparks for Climate Project Coordinator. Participating teams: EU Sparks 9 finalists selected by the jury.
15:45	Jury deliberation to decide the 3 winning teams. Moderated by: Ioannis Sagias \| Deputy head of unit for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission
16:15	Announcement of the champions and closing. Ioannis Sagias \| Deputy head of unit for Valorisation Policies and IPR. DG Research and Innovation. European Commission.

Have questions? Ask the teams!

On Day 1, citizens, researchers, innovators, policy makers, local authorities, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders will have the chance to engage with the teams and learn more about their projects and how they will help address climate change.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the EU final! Feel free to ask the teams any questions you may have, and be part of the conversation!

Ask the the teams!

Urban and sustainability expert, Board Member of the EU Cities Mission, with expertise in policy, urban planning, building and construction, energy, mobility, circular economy, and resilience. He connects public and private sector challenges with solutions and finance.

Director of EU Affairs and Policy Orchestrator at EIT Climate-KIC, Lang also chairs the Cultural & Creative Taskforce for the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub. Listed among Forbes Europe’s Top 50 Women in Tech, she is a member of advisory boards for the Zurich University of Arts and the Fashion Innovation Centre Sweden.

Since 2000 he has been a materials scientist, a corporate R&D Manager in renewable Energy, University Professor, Senior Advisor on Innovation to Cleantech Companies, Entrepreneur and Programme Manager on Energy and Environmental Sustainability at the European Commission.

Architect, researcher, and expert in bioclimatic and biomimetic architecture, nature-based solutions, and the relationship between nature and contemporary architecture. She is involved in climate change resilience initiatives, Mission Adaptation to Climate Change, and the New European Bauhaus.

Associate Director of Computer Vision Center (CVC) and Associate Professor at UAB, Barcelona (Spain). His research interests are AI and its social impact(s), citizen-centric innovation and citizen science. He is former president of ENOLL and current Director of Chair UAB-Cruïlla for AI in arts.

Director of Science Policy at EFPIA, with a PhD in Ethnopharmacognosy (2003) and 18 years of experience in research, EU public and regulatory affairs focused on animal testing, environment, health, safety, and sustainability issues.

Grațian is the founder of UrbanizeHub, a community dedicated to future city development. He has collaborated with the European Commission and the World Bank on urban innovation projects. Holding a PhD in urban governance, he has been a member of the European Commission’s Board of 100 Climate Neutral Cities since 2022.

Pia is a ClimateTech investor and startup coach in Europe, with experience in multinational corporations (Capgemini, Nokia, Nordea) and academia, serving on the board at LUT University, which ranks #10 globally in UN SDG #13 Climate Action.

Head of Climate Change adaptation program – ADAPT’Action at Agence Francaise de Developpement. He co-chairs GlobalABC Climate Change Adaptation Working Group and was elected to the European Commission’s Mission Board on Adaptation to Climate Change in 2022.