HACKATHON CASSINI - 5th EDITION

Hackathon CASSINI 2023
„Space for Defence & Security“


Enhancing Europe's defense and security capabilities with EU space technology.

The technology transfer office “Risk Space Transfer”, together with the Center for National Security and Defense Research (CNSDR), organized the first edition in Bulgaria CASSINI Hackathon “Space for Defence & Security.” It took place from March 24th to 26th in Sofia. 

The topic of the 5th edition of the hackathon was “Enhancing Europe’s defense and security capabilities with EU space technology” and was held simultaneously in 10 countries within the EU. In this edition, participants were presented with three challenges.

Sixteen teams from Bulgaria participated, guided by mentors who were experts in the field, assisting with the development of their ideas and the use of space data and instruments.

Before the beginning of the hackathon, a “Big Ideas Campaign” was held, featuring sessions from the Central Hub and RST, to familiarize participants with the hackathon theme and available work instruments.

In Bulgaria, the event started with an opening seminar called “Space for Defence and Security: Balkan & Black Sea Perspectives – II.” Leading specialists from the European Committee (DG DEFIS, EUSPA), the European Space Agency (ESA), Eurisy, and Bulgarian experts from the State administration and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences participated. The conference themes were related to the three challenges of the hackathon to inspire participants to search for innovative solutions.

The CASSINI Hackathon 2023 included participants from different universities such as the National Military University Vasil Levski, Rakovski National Defence College, MOI Academy, Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Technical University of Sofia and Georgi Benkovski Bulgarian Airforce Academy, along with many other participants united by similar ideas and complementary skills.

They had the opportunities to use satellite data and services from “Copernicus” and “Galileo & EGNOS.” They also used Mundi’s database, which provided access to different instruments such as Jupiter Notebooks and virtual machines.

The event included panels at the local level – with Bulgarian information and mentor sessions – as well as at the European level, through interaction with the Central Hub and broadcasting information sessions prepared for all European participants.

During the hackathon, there were interviews with the local organizers and teams, broadcasted from the Central Hub to all hackathon locations. RST-TTO spoke about the Bulgarian hackathon and their activity.

The Bulgarian teams also had the opportunity to present themselves and share their ideas and motivation.

For the winners there were cash prizes with a total value of 3,500 euros and vouchers from Mundi with a value of 3,500 euros, along with a 3-month mentorship with experts. Material prizes were distributed to all participants and other special prizes were provided by the event sponsors: Atos Bulgaria, Digital Lights, and LLcloud Ltd.

Hackathon CASSINI concluded with a Demo Day which was broadcasted online in real-time on March 30th. It gave the winners of the ten countries the opportunity to present their projects at a European level in front of an international jury. The Bulgarian team ExpLora also presented their idea.

WINNERS

First place
Prizes:
  • 2000 EUR
  • 2000 EUR cloud resource vouchers from Mundi
  • 3-month mentorship
Team ExpLORA
Second place
Prizes:
  • 1000 EUR
  • 1000 EUR cloud resource vouchers from Mundi
  • 3-month mentorship
Team Air Force Academy
Third place
Prizes:
  • 500 EUR
  • 500 EUR cloud resource vouchers from Mundi
  • 3-month mentorship
Team Thermopylae
Additional prizes:
  • LLCloud Prize и adventure reward – team Safer Seas,  Rakovski National Defence College
  • Adventure reward – team Rapid Response System, MOI Academy
  • Adventure reward – team DefSec

Challenges

The main themes of the competition aim to stimulate the use of European Union space technologies - European space data from Copernicus and satellite positioning and navigation services from Galileo and EGNOS - to develop new concepts, products or services that have a positive impact on the European defense and security sector.

Ensuring operational mobility in different terrains

Ensuring the mobility of defense and emergency response teams and humanitarian assistance teams in different types of terrain and in different climate and weather conditions, through up-to-date information about the terrain and environment, searching for suitable routes, planning missions for operations and responding to emergencies and operational logistics.

To make the seas
more secure

Monitoring and mapping of security threats at sea, illegal activity (arms trafficking, drugs and people, illegal fishing, pollution of water areas...). Detect, identify and track vessels and search for safe shipping routes.

Protection of our critical infrastructure

Assessment of the risk of disrupting the functioning of critical infrastructure, planning scenarios for its limitation and recovery, through monitoring of potential threats, risk assessment and forecast, identification of weak points and mitigation of consequences.
PREPARE FOR
HACKATHON CASSINI 2023

Prepare better for Hackathon CASSINI 2023 “Space for Defence and Security” with the video recordings from “Big Ideas Campaign” which you can find on the website of Hackathons CASSINI in the section “Tools” section “On Demand Trainings”.

 

PARTICIPATE
AND WIN

Students from military schools, universities, as well as representatives of scientific organizations and businesses working in the field of security and aerospace technologies can take part in the competition. No prior space related experience required.

For more information

    During the hackathon, participants will have the opportunity to meet experts, learn how to use EU space technologies and create innovative applications in one of three challenges, with the top three teams awarded.

    You can find the full requirements of Hackathon CASSINI on the official site of the event:

    https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/bulgaria

    The participants will also have the possibility to connect via Discord:  Discord канал CASSINI Space for Defence & Security – 2023.

    bdi-logo
    Co-organiser
    MIRlogo
    Under the auspices of​
    CNSDR-logo-1
    Co-organiser

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