Circular water in industry & cities
Industrial and municipal water reuse, smart metering, leak detection, resource recovery, nature-based circular solutions for water and wastewater.
Munich 2026 Apply
EIT Water & PDJF HACKATHON pilot — regional innovation event
Circular & Climate-Resilient Blue Economy
EIT Water HACKATHON Munich 2026
Circular & climate-resilient blue economy for Central and Alpine Europe. A one-day, high-energy innovation sprint uniting students, startups, corporates, utilities, cities and researchers to co-create early-stage solutions for urgent water, marine and maritime (WMM) challenges.
About the hackathon
Co-create early-stage solutions for a circular & climate-resilient blue economy.
The EIT Water & PDJF HACKATHON pilot brings together innovators from Central and Alpine Europe to fast-track ideas into Proofs of Concept (PoCs) that can feed into future pilots, accelerators and EIT-funded activities.
Cross-sector teams
Form diverse teams across students, startups, corporates, utilities, city representatives, NGOs and researchers to tackle real WMM challenges.
Proofs of Concept, not slides
Use the day to sketch PoCs, mockups, user journeys and quick feasibility checks that can be further developed after the event.
Regional impact
Focus on the Central & Alpine Europe context: rivers, lakes and urban-industrial systems that underpin a resilient blue economy.
Challenge tracks
Hackathon challenges aligned with EIT Water objectives.
Teams work on one of four tracks connected to EIT Water’s strategic goals: ecosystem protection, circularity and resilience.
Climate-resilient watersheds & infrastructure
Tools and concepts to manage floods, droughts and extreme events in rivers, lakes and urban areas across Central & Alpine regions.
Healthy rivers, lakes & coasts
Monitoring, data, restoration concepts and governance ideas that protect and restore freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Data & digital for the blue economy
Digital twins, decision-support tools, GIS, dashboards and data platforms enabling better water management and blue-economy business models.
Confirmed challenge owners
Real-world challenges already on board.
These organizations bring concrete water and circularity problems to the hackathon. More challenge owners will be announced soon.
i.A. Dr. Sebastiana Roccuzzo
Umwelttechnik BW
Challenge: Stream:line: An Interactive Assessment Tool for Circular Water Management in Industry
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Stephan Franz Lutter
WU Wien (Vienna University of Economics & Business)
Challenge: Reporting on water use by mining actors is insufficient
Why join?
Prototype ideas, meet partners and plug into the EIT Water ecosystem.
This hackathon is your fast track into a growing pan-European water innovation community.
Build & test ideas quickly
Turn problems into testable PoCs in a single day with structured facilitation and access to mentors.
Expert mentoring
Get feedback from experts in water technology, policy, finance, entrepreneurship and ecosystem building.
Connect across borders
Meet participants from across Central & Alpine Europe and link into the broader EIT Water community.
Visibility & next steps
Stand-out teams receive recognition, follow-up connection into EIT Water activities and support to keep developing their ideas.
Programme
One-day high‑energy hackathon format.
A structured sprint from challenge framing to pitches and next steps on 28 September 2026, 10:00–19:00.
10:00 – 10:30
Registration, coffee & networking
10:30 – 10:50
Welcome & framing by EIT Water and DEEP Ecosystems
10:50 – 11:15
Challenge introduction & lightning talks (blue economy, resilience, circularity)
11:15 – 11:45
Team formation & challenge selection
11:45 – 13:30
Hack sprint I: problem framing, user journeys, first concepts
13:30 – 14:15
Lunch & informal mentoring
14:15 – 16:15
Hack sprint II: PoC design, feasibility check, impact & business logic
16:15 – 17:00
Pitch coaching & pitch deck finalization
17:00 – 18:00
Final pitches to jury
18:00 – 18:30
Jury deliberation & networking
18:30 – 19:00
Awards, wrap-up & next steps into EIT Water ecosystem
Team applications
Apply as a team to join the EIT Water HACKATHON.
We welcome mixed teams of students, early-career professionals, startups, intrapreneurs, NGOs and public-sector innovators working on water, marine and maritime challenges.
Sign up
Sign up as mentor, jury member or supporting partner.
Ecosystem builders, industry experts, investors and public-sector leaders can sign up to mentor, join the jury or support challenge definition.
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Venue
Hosted at Gewerbehof Ostbahnhof in Munich.
The hackathon will take place at Gewerbehof Ostbahnhof, Haagerstr. 5-11, 80339 München, offering collaborative workspaces, Wi‑Fi, breakout rooms and a stage for final pitches.
Gewerbehof Ostbahnhof
Address:
Haagerstr. 5-11
80339 München
Germany
- Collaborative workspaces for ≥ 6 teams
- High-speed Wi‑Fi & presentation equipment
- Accessible facilities
- Easy access via public transport
Central & Alpine Europe focus
Munich connects industry, academia and policy actors from across Central and Alpine Europe for a resilient blue economy.
Organizers & partners
Delivered by experienced ecosystem builders.
The hackathon is organized by DEEP Ecosystems as part of the EIT Water & PDJF HACKATHON pilot, in collaboration with regional partners from Central & Alpine Europe.
DEEP Ecosystems
International ecosystem-building organization supporting startup communities, innovation hubs, investors and public-sector partners across Europe.
EIT Water ecosystem
The hackathon is one of EIT Water’s 2026 pilot activities, building collaboration formats and pipelines towards future EIT-supported initiatives.
Regional partners
Industrial, municipal, research and NGO partners help define challenges, mentor teams and explore follow-on opportunities for promising PoCs.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who can participate in the hackathon?
We welcome students, early-career professionals, startups, intrapreneurs, researchers, NGOs, utilities and city representatives from across Central & Alpine Europe.
Do I need an existing startup to join?
No. You can join as an individual with relevant skills or ideas and form a team on-site, or apply as an existing startup or project team.
What kind of outcomes are expected?
Early-stage PoCs: problem framing, value propositions, user journeys, basic technical concepts and impact logic that can be further developed after the event.
Is there a participation fee?
Details will be announced with the final call. We aim to keep participation accessible and supported by the EIT Water & PDJF pilot funding.
What language will be used?
The working language is English to enable cross-border collaboration.
How do I stay updated?
Apply or sign up via the forms on this page. Selected teams and mentors will receive detailed information by email ahead of the event.
Ready to shape the blue economy?
Bring your ideas to Munich on 28 September 2026 and help build circular, climate-resilient water systems for Central & Alpine Europe.
