BBT Nordic Hackathon 2024
From September 27–29, 2024, the BBT Nordic Hackathon brought together bright minds in Odense, Denmark, for a three-day innovation sprint dedicated to solving real-world challenges in blue biotechnology. Hosted at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and the Svanninge research station, the event provided a dynamic space for students, startups, and experts to connect, innovate, and drive sustainable solutions for the Blue Bioeconomy.
With 43 participants from 20 universities across 14 European countries, the Hackathon fostered collaboration between students, recent graduates, and industry experts. Over the weekend, multidisciplinary teams worked on six industry challenges, tackling pressing issues in sustainable aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and ecosystem-friendly food production.
The event wasn’t just about competition—it was about learning, networking, and creating tangible solutions. With expert mentors guiding the teams, participants gained hands-on experience, explored cutting-edge biotech applications, and pitched their ideas in front of an esteemed panel of judges.
Meet the Challenge Owners
The Hackathon featured five industry challenge owners, each bringing a unique challenge from their field:
- Eat Myt (Denmark) – Making blue mussels a staple of sustainable, healthy diets through innovative, ready-to-eat products.
- Kerteminde Seafarm (Denmark) – Developing low-trophic aquaculture solutions, integrating seaweed & mussel farming with offshore wind farms.
- Global Skills Network (Estonia) – Driving social innovation and transnational collaboration for the Fourth Sector.
- Aquaponics Iberia (Portugal) – Revolutionizing food production with integrated seawater aquaponics to grow fish and vegetables together.
- Kieler Lachsforelle (Germany) – Pioneering sustainable salmon farming solutions.
Meet Our Hackathon Winners
After an intense weekend of problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity, three outstanding teams emerged as winners:
🥇 Master Winners – Eat Myt Challenge (Mentored by Sigmar Snær Gunnarsson)
Hiba Jasmin V, Thiviya N., Arno Vanheule, Maksymilian Ananiew, Martyna Janas
🥈 Expert Winners – Kerteminde Seafarm Challenge (Mentored by Mads Hecter)
Gillian Moran, Sabira B., Vincent Marcus, Takamasa Nishizawa
🥉 Advanced Winners – Aquaponics Iberia Challenge (Mentored by João Cotter)
Amin Sadeghi Sheshdeh, Marcus Jonsson, Maria Berger, Stanisław Przychocki, Marta Gómez Jabalera
The Eat Myt team will now pitch their solution at Mission Arena 3 in Amsterdam, competing on a larger stage to showcase their innovative ideas.
Thank You to Our Hosts & Partners!
We want to extend our gratitude to the Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark for organizing such an incredible event. From arranging a world-class research station at Svanninge, to ensuring seamless logistics, to even treating us to some delicious seaweed beer, their efforts made this event truly special!
A special thanks to our amazing mentors, judges, and participants for making this Hackathon a success! The energy, collaboration, and groundbreaking ideas shared over the weekend reaffirm the immense potential of blue biotechnology in shaping a more sustainable future.
The BBT Nordic Hackathon has set the stage for even bigger opportunities in blue biotechnology.
Want to be part of the next edition?
📌 Have a look at our upcoming Baltic Hackathon!
