Hosted by the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), the EU-CONEXUS ENABLES Hackathon, Gamifying Agricultural & Biotech Education, took place from 10–12 June 2026 as part of the parallel programme of the EU-CONEXUS Conference 2026.
During the three-day event, 23 undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students from EU-CONEXUS partner universities formed seven teams and developed innovative digital solutions aimed at educating 15-year-old students on topics related to agriculture and biotechnology.
The Hackathon was organised under the coordination of Dr Aikaterini Koletti, EU-CONEXUS Enables Project Manager at AUA. Guidance, mentoring and coordination were provided by Professor Konstantinos Demestichas, Professor Helen Hughes and Lecturer Rachel O'Dowd from South East Technological University (SETU).
Participants were challenged to design and present digital learning tools, including games, applications, simulations and interactive platforms, employing creative approaches to simplify and communicate complex scientific concepts.
The first prize was awarded to team "Chashki I Khushki" from SETU, consisting of Ihor Maslovskyi, Dzheffriei Ihesinulo, Oleksandr Storozhuk and Ihor Mekhtiiev. Second prize was awarded to team "MNM", also from SETU, with members Mykhailo Kholiev, Nazariy Buryak and Marwan Fayad. Third place went to team "SynthoRithm" from AUA, consisting of Anastasios Manolopoulos-Dekaristos, Ilias Glynos and Paraskevi-Eleni Darzenta.
Winning team member Oleksandr Storozhuk commented that attending the Hackathon was a "valuable experience that allowed me to improve both my professional and personal skills. Working with students from different cultural and academic backgrounds helped me develop confidence, adaptability, and effective communication. Winning first place at the Enables Hackathon was a significant achievement that motivated me to continue developing my skills and pursuing future international opportunities."
Fellow teammate Ihor Mekhtiiev explained how the opportunity helped "improve my teamwork skills and allowing me to build new connections with people from different backgrounds."
Summing up the experience, SETU student Mykhailo Babych commented: "The Enables hackathon allowed me to apply my skills to a real project, improve my abilities in mobile app development, and gain experience working in an international team under time pressure. It also boosted my confidence in presenting, expanded my network within EU-CONEXUS, and gave me a clearer sense of my future career direction."
Professor Helen Hughes and lecturer Rachel O'Dowd worked alongside the organisers throughout the event, further strengthening collaboration between the partner universities. The Hackathon also complemented SETU's recently funded BECEE (Balanced and Enhanced Collaboration for an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem) project, a prestigious European initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurial talent and strengthening innovation capacity across Europe. By bringing together students from across the alliance to explore entrepreneurship through gamification, the Enables Hackathon demonstrated how collaboration across projects, institutions and disciplines can create meaningful learning experiences.
Reflecting on the experience, Professor Hughes said the Hackathon "tied in directly with our work on the European EIT-funded BECEE project." She added that the event provided valuable learning that will inform future Hackathons, while the wider conference created opportunities to exchange ideas and identify new collaborators for future European projects.
The EU-CONEXUS Enables Hackathon provided students with an opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and cultures, develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges, and build valuable professional networks. Bringing together students and staff from across the alliance, initiatives such as the Enables Hackathon, alongside projects like BECEE, demonstrate how collaboration between European partners can foster innovation, entrepreneurship and meaningful learning experiences.
Additional information
BECEE project – Balanced and Enhanced Collaboration for an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem