Join the Space & Water Nexus Hackathon – taking place on 1 to 3 October in Noordwijk – to work on challenges in water, infrastructure and environmental monitoring, with direct access to challenge owners, potential end users, experts, data and tools. The event organiser is Groundstation.Space and participants can work on an existing solution or choose from the three challenges that have been set by Aerovision, Rijkswaterstaat and Water Natuurlijk Rijnland. The winning team will receive a number of prizes, including support in applying to the Fierce Financial Support Programme and, as the Space Business Innovation Centre (SBIC) Noordwijk is a service provider of Fierce, we are pleased to support the hackathon. Be sure to attend the online info session if you are curious to know more. Register for the hackathon
Hackathon connects technology, expertise and potential users
Participants of the Space & Water Nexus Hackathon can bring an existing solution or developed concept, or work on one of the challenges provided by participating organisations. The event is organised by Groundstation.Space in collaboration with the Fierce programme, with support from partners.
Throughout the hackathon, challenge owners, potential end users, mentors and experts will be available to answer questions, provide feedback and exchange knowledge. This format also allows existing technologies and solutions to be considered in a different context. A company may already have technology, data or expertise that could be relevant to a challenge, without currently working in that particular sector or application area.
Different sectors in one place
The hackathon involves organisations from water and infrastructure, government, space and Earth observation sectors, as well as the regional innovation ecosystem. For participants, this means access to people with different perspectives on the same issues: organisations familiar with the operational challenges, specialists in Earth observation and data, technology companies, mentors and potential users.
The event takes place in Noordwijk, with its concentration of space and Earth observation organisations and expertise, while the challenges extend into areas such as water management, infrastructure, agriculture and environmental monitoring.
Meet potential end users and relevant stakeholders
Interaction with potential users is part of the programme throughout the 3 days of the hackathon. On the Saturday, following the project presentations and winner announcement, the hackathon will conclude with a matchmaking session with potential end users and relevant stakeholders.
The matchmaking provides additional time to present what has been developed during the hackathon, exchange contacts and continue discussions with organisations relevant to the challenges.
Discover more
Join the info session on 23 Sep to hear more about the challenges, programme, available data and tools, participation requirements and practical information, followed by an open Q&A.
The hackathon is aimed at startups, research teams and technical teams with existing expertise, technology or developed concepts that can be applied to challenges in water, infrastructure and environmental monitoring.
Prizes and follow-up opportunities with the Fierce programme
The winning team will receive a cash prize and support to prepare an application for the second call of the Fierce Financial Support Programme, subject to the programme’s eligibility and selection requirements. Other prizes include a prototyping workshop at CometLab, a personalised funding opportunity scan, introductions to the local startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and media exposure and promotion.
Fierce supports eligible SMEs that use downstream space data to develop or adopt solutions that reduce environmental impact. Selected applicants can receive a voucher of up to 50,000 euros to contract external service providers, with support available for projects ranging from ideation to scale-up and commercialisation. Applications close for this round on 9 Nov 2026 at 17:00 CET.
KEY DATES
Info Session starts: Wed 23 Sep (16:00 CEST); register
Hackathon deadline: Fri 25 Sep (by 17:00 CEST); register
Hackathon starts: Fri 1 Oct (at 16:00 CEST)
Hackathon ends: Sun 3 Oct (at 17:00 CEST)
Discover startups from ESA BIC Noordwijk with a water-related focus!
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