Hack4oceans is a 2-day Youth Innovation Event where participants from across Europe learnt, explored and co-created opportunities for prosperity through ocean conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Hosted by European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (EC DG MARE), in Brussels, the event brought together undergraduate students and professional stakeholders coming from the private sector, policy making and academia.
WHY
Human intervention, including pollution and the acceleration of climate change, increasingly threaten the immense ecological, economic and social value of the world’s oceans to humanity. To safeguard it, we urgently need new initiatives that promote sustainable use of the marine environment and resources while minimizing the negative impacts of human activities.
WHAT WE DID
Around 150 people took part in the event, of which 73 were students participants from 18
countries and 21 were non-student participants coming from the private sector, NGO
and academia. More than thirty people participated as domain or business experts.
Hack4Oceans 2021 was centered around 4 broad themes
- MARINE LITTER
- ALTERNATIVE FOOD FROM THE OCEAN
- OCEAN & CLIMATE CHANGE
- PROTECTING & RESTORING COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
In order to have concrete results, we constructed smaller, more specific challenges that can be meaningfully addressed in just two days.
RESULTS
Hack4Oceans participants generated over 30 project ideas, selected top 16 ideas and formed teams around those ideas. 4 most promising ideas were selected by a jury of experts.
Beside the concrete results, Hack4Oceans succeeded in forging new, strong innovation networks in Europe’s marine-related sector.
