Water from Space: Hackathon on Water, Climate and Space Technology
Are you ready to turn data from space into solutions on Earth?
Info about event
Time
Location
Kitchen, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 76, Boiler
Organizer
Are you a student passionate about climate, space technology, sustainability, or innovation? Join Water from Space, a three-day hackathon where you will get the chance to apply your skills to real-world water and climate challenges and create new ideas with potential for further development.
Over three intensive days, you will work in multidisciplinary teams, gain insights from leading experts, and explore how space technology and other data-driven tools can help address water-related climate challenges.
The hackathon ends with final pitch presentations at ‘The National Climate Summit 2026’ at the Klimatorium in Lemvig. This is a unique opportunity to showcase your ideas in front of experts and decision-makers while experiencing one of Denmark’s leading climate events.
Why join?
- Work on real-world water and climate challenges
- Collaborate with fellow students, experts, companies, and public-sector partners
- Learn how space technology can support sustainable solutions
- Pitch your idea at ‘The National Climate Summit 2026’ at Klimatorium in Lemvig
- Compete for cash prizes, including a first prize of at least €2,000
Practical Information:
- Free participation
- Free food and drinks throughout the hackathon
- Shared transport to and from ‘The National Climate Summit’ in Lemvig
- Open to students from all academic backgrounds
Program
Monday 17 August, 18.00-22.00: Kickoff
- Welcome and introduction
- Presentation of theme, tracks, and format
- Kickoff presentation
- Team formation
- Introduction to Discord and practical setup
- Overview of judging criteria and pitch format
Tuesday 18 August, 9.00-17.00: Hack Day
- Expert presentations
- Teamwork
- Mentoring sessions
- Feedback on problem framing, solution design, and pitch
- Creative sprint challenge(s)
Wednesday 19 August, 8.30-16.00: Pitch finals at ‘The National Climate Summit 2026’
- 8.30-10.00: Shared transport to Klimatorium
- 10:00–11:00: Arrival, check in and final preparations
- 11:15–12:30: Pitch finals
- 12:30–13:00: Jury deliberations and short break
- 13:00–13:20: Award ceremony
- 13.20-16.00: Shared transport back to Kitchen or opportunity to explore ‘The National Climate Summit 2026’
Participants will work within one of the three challenge tracks:
- Water Resilience
Solutions addressing flooding, drought, coastal risks, climate adaptation, and the resilience of water-related systems. - Water Systems
Solutions for water infrastructure, supply networks, sensors, IoT, leak detection, monitoring, and more efficient operation of water systems. - Environmental Monitoring
Solutions for monitoring water environments, pollution, and ecosystems, leveraging Earth observation, drones, sensors, and other data sources to improve environmental understanding.