On 23 October 2026, six teams will gather at the Old Town Hall in Elbląg, Poland, to work on six real challenges brought directly by the port sector, and turn them into practical, early-stage solutions within a single day.
Why a Port Sector Hackathon
Sustainable port development sits at the intersection of environmental protection, digital innovation, and community engagement. Few organisations have the internal capacity to test new approaches to problems such as sediment reuse or water-quality risk modelling on their own. PORThack brings together people who do: start-ups, SMEs, research groups and students, working directly with the port organisations that own each challenge.
Every challenge comes from a real organisation with an operational stake in the outcome, and every team works with a dedicated mentor throughout the day to keep solutions grounded in practical constraints.
Six Challenges, One Day
Participants choose from six challenges spanning environmental, operational, digital and societal aspects of port development:
- Circular reuse of contaminated dredged sediment in port expansion
- Dust capture at source during bulk cargo handling
- Runoff capture and treatment on port surfaces
- Coordinated crisis response across a national port network
- A digital twin for port water and risk visualisation
- Strengthening how the public understands and values its port
From Prototype to Pilot
PORThack is built to continue beyond the event itself. Winning teams receive prize money (EUR 1,000 for first place, EUR 500 for second, EUR 250 for third), and more importantly, the opportunity to keep working with their challenge owner to refine the concept under real operational conditions. Access to incubation, accelerator support and investor networks is available through the wider PORThack partner network, giving strong ideas a genuine route towards implementation.
Who Should Apply
PORThack is open to start-ups, SMEs, companies, research groups and students with relevant expertise in sustainability, digital innovation, environmental engineering or related fields. Students join teams to learn alongside experienced professionals while contributing fresh perspectives.
Partial travel support is available for participating teams and students from partner universities.
Apply with Your Team
Applications close 22 September 2026. Organisations and individuals ready to work on a real port challenge, and help shape practical solutions for the Baltic Sea Region’s ports, can apply now.
PORThack is hosted by the SUBMARINER Network and Elbląg Sea Port Authority, and funded by EIT Water with support from the Poul Due Jensen Foundation (Grundfos Foundation).
Apply by 22 September 2026: https://blueactionmatch.hivebrite.com/networks/events/219995
