Open Sea Lab 4.0 Hackathon - Terms and Conditions
Welcome!
The “EMODnet Open Sea Lab 4.0 Hackathon” (OSL 4.0), with past editions in 2017, 2019, and 2023, invites participants to develop impactful solutions using the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). This includes the wealth of data and data products of the marine environment and human activities at sea, offered at pan-European scale and beyond.
As with previous editions, EMODnet is the lead organiser and works in collaboration with other EU data services, specifically for OSL 4.0 with Copernicus Marine Service.
Highlights of OSL 4.0
European Digital Twin Ocean Platform (EDITO)
This fourth edition marks the first opportunity to directly engage with the European Digital Twin Ocean platform (EDITO) in its Beta phase. EDITO provides a common data lake integrating offerings from EMODnet and the Copernicus Marine Service. Participants will test the platform, provide feedback, and contribute to its improvement.
Focus on EMODnet In Situ Data
OSL 4.0 emphasizes using in situ data and data products from the EMODnet Portal and EDITO Platform. Participants’ ideas should highlight the value of in situ data, develop innovative societal applications, and deliver localized solutions where possible.
Alignment with EU Mission
Solutions should align, wherever feasible, with the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters, advancing marine knowledge for societal benefit and addressing Europe’s ocean challenges.
Who Can Participate
The OSL 4.0 welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds and skillsets, including:
- Marine/environmental researchers/scientists
- Data scientists
- Students of relevant disciplines
- Private sector professionals (e.g., Blue Economy domains)
- Ocean/environmental managers
- Policymakers, NGOs
- Communication specialists
- Citizens
Participants with no prior ocean or data science experience are encouraged to form teams with skilled members to leverage EMODnet and EDITO.
Why Participate?
By joining OSL 4.0, you will:
- Learn to navigate and leverage data resources from EMODnet, Copernicus Marine Services, and EDITO.
- Showcase your skills to prominent organizations in the marine sector.
- Gain inspiration from marine data management, ocean research, sustainability, and innovation experts.
- Build professional connections with peers in marine and maritime fields.
What to Expect
Participants will develop solutions for ocean challenges while supporting the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters, fostering marine conservation, and ensuring sustainable practices.
How It Works
- The OSL 4.0 team will provide support through IT experts, data specialists, and marine scientists.
- Participants must use EMODnet services and datasets, with at least two EMODnet thematics per solution.
- Open data from Copernicus Marine Service and other sources may be used where applicable.
- Solutions may expand beyond Europe but should focus on European regional seas.
Participants are encouraged to create localized solutions, integrate AI/ML, and contribute to European policy goals.
Eligibility
Participants must be aged 18 or older. International participants are welcome, but each team must include at least one EU Member State resident.
Hackathon Organizational Team
The event is organized by the EMODnet Secretariat, hosted at InnovOcean in Oostende with support from the Flemish Government. The facilitator is GOPA Com. S.A., collaborating with Pristine Agency OÜ via the Eventornado hackathon platform.
Agenda
- Registration Phase: 17 December 2024 to 17 March 2025, 18:00 CET
- Ideation Warm-Up: March 2025
- 2-Day Virtual Hackathon: 25-26 March 2025
- Winners Ceremony: 27 March 2025
The detailed agenda will be disclosed to registered participants.
Participation Process
Registration
Registration is free and begins in December 2024 via the Eventornado platform. Participants must create a profile and complete the registration form.
Team Formation
Teams must have 3-10 members, including at least one AI/ML expert. Team leaders can add members, and individuals can apply to join existing teams via Eventornado or the #findyourteam Discord channel.
Ideation Warm-Up
A virtual warm-up in March 2025 includes tutorials, live sessions, and access to resources for team formation and ideation. Attendance is strongly encouraged.
Hackathon Days
The hackathon is remote. Communication with the organizational team and mentors occurs on the Eventornado platform and Discord server.
Winners Announcement
Winners will be announced during the live Pitching & Award Event on 27 March 2025.
Terms and Conditions
Participation confirms agreement with these Terms and Conditions and the Terms of Use for EMODnet virtual environments.
Access the Terms of Use at EMODnet and European Commission Legal Notice.
Hackathon Challenges
1 - EMODnet Supporting the Blue Economy Green Transition
Challenge Description
How can EMODnet be used to produce marine knowledge, tools and applications that advance the green transition of the Blue Economy, promoting sustainability and regenerative practices whilst supporting innovation and competitiveness?
Learn More
Participants are challenged to use multi-disciplinary EMODnet data spanning the marine environment and human activities for developing concrete solutions for one or more Blue Economy sectors, including aquaculture, fisheries, offshore renewable energy, coastal tourism, ports, marinas, boating, shipping, dredging and more.
Solutions can range from improving the use of marine knowledge for the planning and siting of human activities at sea, to applications that improve decision-making and more sustainable operations at sea, and to environmental impact assessments and regenerative processes that halt biodiversity loss, towards a net positive restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Where possible, solutions should highlight the power of combining local in situ data.
Ideas to Get You Sailing!
How could you use in situ data to improve efficiency in maritime industries, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance the sustainability of ocean-based activities?
They could explore how data can be applied to monitor and reduce emissions, promote biodiversity, or support sustainable practices e.g., for fisheries and aquaculture, and renewable ocean energy initiatives.
2 - EMODnet for a Healthy and Productive Marine Environment
Challenge Description
How might we leverage EMODnet’s diverse in situ data and data products to support EU Policies for the marine environment, by enhancing the multi-disciplinary evidence base for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Birds and Habitats Directive (BHD) in the wider context of the EU Green Deal?
The focus should be on using detailed, localized data from in situ sources to support more effective policy implementation.
Jumpstart Your Thinking!
How do you think EMODnet in situ data could help improve the marine environmental assessments at European, Regional and National levels?
What tools and applications using EMODnet data would provide key marine knowledge for Member States when completing their National assessments of Good Environmental Status, for Regional Sea Conventions when producing their regular quality status reports and regional sea assessments, and for the European Environment Agency and other EC services when assessing the state of Europe’s seas?
3 - EMODnet for Managing the Use of Our Seas and Oceans
Challenge Description
How can EMODnet’s in situ data and data products support climate-smart Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) at national or cross-border levels?
This challenge invites participants to explore how in situ data can help ensure that MSPs are comprehensive and adaptive to current and future trends.
Your Creative Compass!
How could you improve knowledge and tools for trans-boundary (cross-border) Maritime Spatial Planning, and utilizing both human activities information and marine environmental and coastal data to inform future planning of climate-smart MSP that takes into account future climate impacts in maritime spatial planning decisions?
4 - EMODnet for the Coast
Challenge Description
How can EMODnet’s in situ data and data products be used to develop applications that assess the status of the coastal zone and the health of coastal ecosystems? This challenge focuses on using EMODnet’s in situ data offer for the coastal region – where relevant supplemented by other open data sources - to produce applications and solutions for the Blue Economy, ocean management and wider society to better understand, predict, and mitigate coastal issues, including those linked with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Solutions should focus on the land-sea interface but can also include inland waters, such as solutions for coastal communities dealing with issues like sea-level rise and storm surges, blue carbon reserves, eutrophication and pollution.
Set Sail with These Ideas!
Participants could focus on how in situ data can enhance the understanding of coastal ecosystems, support the development of tools for coastal resilience and improve evidence-based management of Europe’s coastal zone. You might look into how the data can be applied to monitor environmental changes, predict future risks, or develop adaptive strategies for managing coastal resources in response to climate change.
5 - Wild Card! Hack the Ocean with EDITO (Free Challenge)
Challenge Description
How can participants utilize the EDITO platform to create innovative solutions with the European Digital Twin Ocean?
What unique approaches can combine EMODnet in situ data with Copernicus resources like satellite observations and climate models?
How might other open data sources further enhance these solutions when integrated with EMODnet data?
With no set theme or domain, what creative ideas could showcase the potential of the Digital Twin Ocean to deliver impactful societal solutions?
Waves of Inspiration!
Explore various ways to integrate in situ and satellite data, examining how the combination of these resources can provide unique insights or applications for ocean monitoring, environmental protection, or sustainable resource management.
You should think broadly about how combining these datasets can address emerging ocean challenges.
⚠️ Teams participating in Challenge 5 are required to leverage EDITO and combine EMODnet and Copernicus Marine data ⚠️
Proof of Concept
During the hackathon, participants will be asked to deliver a “Proof of Concept” (POC) for innovative solutions that could be developed to address one of the 5 hackathon challenges.
The Proof of Concept’s deliverables to be submitted are revealed only upon registration and made available on the Hack Guide.
Evaluation
Please refer to this document: Hack Guide - Open Sea Lab 4.0
Prizes
The winners of the Open Sea Lab 4.0 hackathon will be invited to pitch their ideas at the European Maritime Day 2025!
A maximum of two (2) Teams will be awarded as “Winners” of the OSL 4.0, enjoying exhibition and networking opportunities to showcase and give outreach to their solutions to the high-profile, professional visitors participating in this amazing gathering.
Additionally, five (5) Teams, [one (1) Team per Challenge], will win non-monetary prizes.
Please note that the travel costs for a maximum of two (2) members from each Winning Team will only be covered from/to a location in Europe to Belgium. No visa support will be provided.
The travel costs from/to a location in Europe to/from Belgium and accommodation (standard single room) for up to two (2) nights will be covered for a maximum of two (2) members from each Winning Team (the “Prize”).
Each team must nominate a Team Leader who will indicate the persons from the team (up to a maximum of two (2) persons per Team) who will receive the Prize on behalf of the Team, should the Team be awarded a Prize.
Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are non-refundable or redeemable for cash.
English Only Submissions
English is the only accepted language for the Proof of Concepts.
Media Recording and Usage Waiver
During the Hackathon events, live sessions, webinars, and in-person events, photographs, video recordings, and audio recordings will be taken.
By participating in this event, you consent to the use of these recordings by the Hackathon Organizational Team and its affiliates for follow-up activities and future promotional materials.
These materials may be used in various media formats, including but not limited to websites, social media, print, and presentations.
If you do not wish to be recorded or have specific preferences regarding the usage of these materials, please notify the Hackathon Organizational Team in advance.
Privacy
By participating in the OSL 4.0, you confirm your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, along with the EMODnet privacy policy available here, and the Pristine Agency Eventornado Privacy Policy, found here.
- Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons regarding the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies, as well as on the free movement of such data.
- Your personal data will be processed to provide you with information about the Hackathon (before, during, and after), and to process your application for participation in the Hackathon.
- Processors are GOPA Com, EMODnet, and Pristine Agency OÜ, who will be responsible for producing, managing, and coordinating the platform and the event, facilitating communication with and interaction between participants, mentors, and judges. Both processors follow the PP of the Controller.
- The data will be retained if the participant maintains an account on the hackathon platform. In the event of participant inactivity, the information will be either deleted or anonymized within 18 months after their last user session, and access will be restricted on a “need-to-see” basis.
- The personal data processed during the Hackathon will not be shared outside the European Union. In the rare event that data transfer to third-party servers becomes necessary, standard data protection clauses issued by the European Commission will be applied for the transfer of personal data to processors established in third countries.
Liability
The Hackathon Organizational Team has the full authority to modify, extend, shorten, or cancel the Hackathon as they see fit without incurring any liability to the participants.
The Hackathon Organizational Team retains the right to verify the validity of submissions and their compliance with these Terms and Conditions.
The Hackathon Organizational Team also reserves the right to disqualify any participant or team that fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions or engages in behaviour deemed inappropriate by the Hackathon Organizational Team.
The Hackathon Organizational Team is not liable for:
- lost, delayed, or misdirected submissions;
- electronic transmission errors;
- theft, alteration, or unauthorized access to submissions;
- technical issues or errors in hardware or software necessary for submission transmission or hackathon procedures, including computer viruses, bugs, unauthorized access, frauds, Internet or website overload, or any combination thereof, or other causes beyond the Hackathon Organizational Team’s control.
Intellectual Property
Participants retain ownership of their background knowledge, which will be utilized during the Hackathon.
The Hackathon Organizational Team of the OSL 4.0 project reserves the right to use the foreground knowledge produced during the Hackathon under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Changes to These Terms and Conditions
The Hackathon Organizational Team retains the right to modify these Terms and Conditions, including adding and/or removing any provisions, at any time (including before and during the Hackathon), for any reason and in any manner they deem appropriate.
Contact Us
Email: opensealab@emodnet.eu