JOIST Innovation Park, in collaboration with leading Science and Technology Parks across Southeastern Europe and within the framework of the SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance, is hosting an “Innovation Sprint” Hackathon as part of the SouthEast European Innovators Challenge 2025 (SEEIC).
The SEEIC 2025 brings together top representatives of the Southeastern European innovation ecosystem in a two-day conference dedicated to networking, problem-solving, and showcasing next-generation opportunities.
The Hackathon is one of the core highlights of the SEEIC 2025 challenge, designed to transform knowledge-sharing into tangible impact. Through collaboration, mentoring, and pitching, participants will develop and present innovative ideas, solutions, and applications that address up-to-date challenges in the following Key Focus Areas:
This dynamic competition, powered by the SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance, invites visionaries, innovators, and problem-solvers, startupers and students to propose impactful solutions that will shape the future of Southeastern Europe’s innovation landscape.
The proposals of the working groups should include the following sections:
Team Composition & Capacity
The experience, skills, and complementarity of the working group behind the proposal.
Proposal Maturity
The level of development of the idea — from early concept to a validated prototype or market-ready solution.
Relevance to the Challenge
The alignment between the proposed idea and the specific needs or objectives of the challenge it addresses.
Realism & Feasibility
The coherence and viability of the proposal overall, including:
– Deadline of submission: 21 October 2025, 15:00 (Greece time | GMT+3)
– Selection announcement for the 8 selected teams: 24 October 2025
Late submissions will not be accepted.
At the end of the SEEIC 2025 Hackathon, four prizes will be awarded to the top-performing teams based on overall scores.
Details regarding awards and specific challenges will be announced soon.
Participants will compete by submitting innovative proposals addressing real-world problems within the three key thematic pillars of SEEIC 2025 — Cybersecurity & ICT, AgriFood, and Logistics.
Each challenge invites creative, practical, and technology-driven solutions that can generate measurable impact and foster sustainable innovation across Southeastern Europe.
1. AI-Powered Cyber Defense for the Future Workforce
Challenge: Develop an AI-driven cybersecurity assistant that helps organizations detect, predict, and respond to threats targeting remote and hybrid work environments — such as phishing, credential theft, or social engineering.
Why it’s intriguing: It combines AI/ML innovation with real-world human risk management. Teams could explore:
Impact angle: Helps businesses secure distributed workforces while enhancing user awareness and trust.
2. Cybersecurity for Smart Cities and Critical Infrastructure
Challenge: Design a resilient cybersecurity framework or solution to protect IoT and SCADA systems powering smart cities — e.g., water supply, traffic systems, or waste management.
Why it’s intriguing: It’s a blend of ICT innovation, risk modeling, and public safety. Teams can propose:
Impact angle: Builds trust in digital infrastructure and showcases responsible innovation for public systems.
3. Digital Trust & Identity in the Age of Deepfakes
Challenge: Create an identity verification solution that combats deepfakes, and identity spoofing without compromising privacy.
Why it’s intriguing: This challenge taps into the intersection of cybersecurity, AI ethics, and digital rights. Potential ideas include:
Impact angle: Protects digital trust, elections, journalism, and social platforms from disinformation.
4. Cyber Resilience for Education and Youth Online Safety
Challenge: Design a cyber hygiene platform, app, or program that helps students, teachers, and parents identify and respond to cyberbullying, data privacy issues, or online scams.
Why it’s intriguing: It blends cybersecurity awareness, UX design, and social impact. Teams could focus on:
Impact angle: Promotes digital well-being and a culture of online safety from an early age.
1. Digital Divide & Connectivity Gaps
Challenge: Many rural and agricultural areas lack digital infrastructure or skills, limiting innovation. Develop scalable, inclusive solutions — such as IoT-enabled platforms or low-cost smart sensors — that bring digital transformation to every stage of the agri-food value chain.
2. Sustainable Resource & Energy Management
Challenge: The agri-food sector must balance productivity with environmental responsibility. Design data-driven and AI-powered systems that optimise the use of water, soil, and energy, integrating renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, bioenergy, or hydrogen) to build resilient and energy-efficient farms.
3. Traceability & Consumer Trust
Challenge: Consumers demand transparency in food origin, safety, and sustainability. Propose traceability systems that enhance transparency and compliance across the agri-food supply chain — leveraging blockchain, smart labels, or digital certification tools to ensure food safety and sustainability.
4. Circular Agri-Energy Systems
Challenge: Agricultural by-products and waste often remain underutilised. Create circular economy models that convert residues (e.g., crop waste, wastewater, or organic materials) into renewable energy or bio-based inputs — strengthening local self-sufficiency and climate resilience.
1. Real-Time Visibility Across the Supply Chain
Challenge: End-to-end visibility is vital for efficient logistics. Design solutions that provide real-time insights from order to delivery, enabling transparency and predictive management.
2. Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery
Challenge: Last-mile logistics represent a key opportunity for sustainability and cost efficiency. Develop smart, eco-friendly delivery models with low environmental footprint.
3. Data Interoperability & Integration of Fragmented Systems
Challenge: Logistics operations rely on multiple disconnected systems (ERP, TMS, WMS, CRM). Build solutions that unify data and support seamless collaboration.
4. Cybersecurity & Resilience in Digital Logistics
Challenge: With logistics increasingly digitized, cybersecurity is becoming a core challenge. Develop frameworks that secure connected systems, IoT devices, and cloud infrastructures.
Upon completion of the evaluation process, the teams receiving the highest scores will be awarded the following prizes:
In addition, the University of Thessaly will also grant three Innovation Awards in the fields of Technology and Health, recognizing outstanding research-driven ideas and solutions that demonstrate strong social and technological impact.
The awards highlight the vital connection between academia, innovation, and entrepreneurship — reinforcing Thessaly’s role as a regional hub for excellence and applied innovation.
Panagiota Lagou, GRC Director in Adacom SA
Loukas Paparalambous, CEO – Managing Director, Elikon Logistics IKE, Vice-President of the Board of Directors, SBTSE (Association of Industries of Thessaly and Central Greece)
Odysseas Spyroglou, International Development Ireland, R&I Lead, Loggerhead Venture Partner
Chrysi Laspidou, Vice-Rector of Innovation, Internationalization, Collaborations and Digital Governance, Professor-Civil Engineering, University of Thessaly, Member of the WEF Nexus Steering Committee at Future Earth
Dr. Ioanna Kastelli, Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Thessaly
