Check the first EU Sparks for Climate information webinar
This week, EU Sparks for Climate hosted its first webinar to explain how to be part of this inspiring journey of developing new climate solutions. Over 120 attendees heard directly from the European Commission and the Project Consortium detailed information of the journey of the Championship and how to participate: from the organisation of the 22 virtual hackathons to the type of prizes that winning teams participating in the competition can obtain.
Ioannis Sagias, Deputy Head of E2 Unit at DG RTD from the European Commission, welcomed the attendees and explained the project within the context of the EU Knowledge Valorisation Policy. Next, Elena López, Member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, explained the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, emphasising the urgent need for innovative solutions to mitigate climate change’s adverse effects. Then, Thomas Osdoba, Mission Platform Coordinator at NetZeroCities, elaborated on the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, highlighting the importance of transitioning to sustainable urban environments.
After these opening speeches, attendees were presented with inspiring stories of citizens and professionals who have participated in hackathons, who created new solutions through collaborative development and prototyping. Eva Martínez, a Social Innovation Expert from ICONS, highlighted the pivotal role of hackathons as tools for knowledge valorisation and the collaboration in addressing climate challenges. María Rosado, Chief Product Officer at KIOTA, shared her hackathon participation journey, illustrating how these events serve as platforms for turning ideas into impactful solutions. Neil Bradley, representing FOODSAFESYSTEM, explained the process of crafting success stories post-Hackathon, showing the transformative potential of hackathon projects. Then, Veselin Arnaudov, Chief Technology Officer at FOREST BANK, discussed the journey from concept to commerce, exploring the practical aspects of bringing innovative solutions to the market. Next, Ian Turner, Project Manager of Energy Cities, and Egoitz Zarallo, Product Director of Barrabés.biz, moderated the audience’s question and answer time.
To conclude the webinar, Miguel Á. García, Project Manager for EU Sparks for Climate from Barrabés.biz, presented the project in detail and outlined how citizens and researchers can participate in the first European Citizens Hackathon Championship. This included an overview of the application process and the journey of the initiative, ensuring that everyone had a clear understanding of how they can be part of this inspiring initiative.
If you couldn’t attend the webinar but you are interested in participating in EU Sparks for Climate: Citizen’s Hackathon Championship, don’t miss this video:
