Registrations for the 3rd edition of Ocean Hackathon® Peniche are ongoing until October 14, an international competition that returns to Peniche to bring together multidisciplinary teams around the development of innovative solutions addressing the challenges of the Ocean. The competition, which lasts 48 uninterrupted hours, will take place from October 16 to 18, at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM) of the University of Leiria and Oeste, as announced in a press release.
According to the same source, throughout the marathon, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals join forces to create prototypes capable of addressing challenges submitted by national and international entities. The competition takes place simultaneously in 12 cities around the world, linking Portugal to a global network of blue innovation.
In this edition, five challenges can be worked on by teams, in areas such as the enhancement and transparency of the fisheries economy, the monitoring and management of the health of coastal lagoons, the traceability and origin of products, innovation and digitalization in aquaculture, and the monitoring of water quality through digital technologies and sensors.
During the competition, teams have access to specialized databases, digital tools and the guidance of national and international mentors, with the aim of turning data into practical and innovative solutions for the sustainability of the Ocean and generating a positive impact on society.
The initiative integrates Ocean Hackathon, an international program created in Brest, France, by Campus Mondial de la Mer, which promotes collaboration between science, technology and market and contributes to accelerating innovation and sustainability in the blue economy.
This is the third time the competition is held in Portugal, after the editions held in 2023 and 2025, being organized by the Peniche Hub of the Blue Hub Network – Smart Ocean, in partnership with ESTM of the University of Leiria and Oeste, MARE – Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences, CiTUR – Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Tourism, the Municipality of Peniche, BLUEBIO ALLIANCE, FCCN and the Blue Hub Network Portugal.
