Are you ready to take on real-world challenges using EU Space technologies?
Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence, sends a message of encouragement to those who will participate in the 12th CASSINI Hackathon this November:
“It is a great opportunity for Irish entrepreneurs and technologists to have the CASSINI Hackathon hosted in Ireland and particularly fitting in the year we hold Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This hackathon directly addresses European security, crisis preparedness, and defence. I look forward to seeing the solutions that come out of the CASSINI Hackathon and wish every success to the Irish teams.”
EU Space Technologies
National College of Ireland, with partner Irish Manufacturing Research, is preparing to host at the college’s Dublin city-centre campus, well-served by national and local public transport with the infrastructure and facilities for this BYOD (bring your own device) hackathon, which occurs simultaneously in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.
No prior knowledge of space or space data is required — any EU Citizen over the age of 18, or in a non-EU country associated with Horizon Europe, can join and contribute with their unique perspective. Join individually and find your colleagues during team formation or assemble your team and each of you register now.
There is more to win than money
Alongside local networking, mentoring and collaboration opportunities, participants will learn how to work with the free-to-use EU space data from Copernicus, Galileo, and EGNOS, gaining hands-on experience in transforming raw data into real, working solutions. If that interests you, register and build your team.
In addition to local rewards, winners at the European level will be awarded prizes of up to €5,000, but there is more at stake than money.
Through entering a six-month mentoring programme with 100 hours of tailored, expert guidance, the winning team will gain the support needed to turn their concepts into real products and services. This mentorship ensures that ideas do not stop at the prototype stage but can grow into viable businesses with lasting impact for society.
Shape the future of Peace & Resilience
The 12th CASSINI Hackathon offers the opportunity to develop impactful solutions that can shape how we experience everyday issues in Europe. Participants will tackle three major challenges during the event, all designed to make use of EU Space technologies.
• Challenge 1: Cybersecurity for space-based strategic enablers: Leverage GNSS and Earth observation data to strengthen the cyber-resilience of critical services and infrastructures.
• Challenge 2: Space-enabled crisis response and civil resilience: Rethink the way we tackle crisis response and resilience using space data.
• Challenge 3: Countering transnational crime and terrorism with space data: Develop space-based solution for anticipating, tracking and responding to security threats across borders.
Join the innovation movement
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a student, or simply excited about space, this event offers the perfect platform to contribute to Defence & Security, using EU Space data.
Registration Deadline: November 20, 2026 - https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/ireland
But don’t delay – register now to take full advantage of the BIG IDEAS Campaign, November 2-13, 2026. Remember, all participants must register individually, even if in the same team.
Key dates
• The Big Ideas Campaign: 2 – 13 November 2026 - Get hands-on with EU Space data, learn how to access and use it effectively, and gain deeper insights into the challenges and upcoming pre-hackathon events.
• Registration Deadline: 20 November 2026 - Don’t wait! Secure your spot now! https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/ireland
• Hackathon Weekend: 27 – 29 November 2026 – Get to work. Grab your team and start developing your solution and pitch.
• Demo-Day: 2 December 2026 - The Local Winners pitch in front of a jury out of industry expert, followed by the award ceremony.