Türkiye-Greece Hackathon Final held in Athens
The final of the Türkiye-Greece Hackathon was successfully completed in Athens, bringing together six mixed teams of Turkish and Greek students and entrepreneurs competing for a total prize of €35,000.
Winning Teams and Innovations
🏆 1st Place: "EcoMaris" – Developed sustainable and carbon-neutral solutions for marinas to protect the marine ecosystem.
🥈 2nd Place: "Ecoloop" – Introduced an innovative approach to water management for more efficient usage.
🥉 3rd Place: "ResQLink" – Created a system to prevent communication breakdowns during disasters, enhancing crisis management.
The final event took place at the Foundation of the Hellenic World and was attended by high-ranking officials, including:
- Greek Minister of Digital Governance Dimitrios Papastergiou
- Turkish General Director of National Technology Sadullah Uzun
- CEO of Bilişim Vadisi Erkam Tüzgen
- Greek Secretary General for International Economic Relations Dimitris Skalkos
- Turkish Ambassador to Athens Çağatay Erciyes
- Consul General of Türkiye in Athens-Piraeus Işıl Işık Civelik
- Vice President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sofia Kounenaki-Efremoglou
Officials Highlight Innovation and Bilateral Cooperation
🗣 Minister Papastergiou emphasized that innovation transcends borders, fosters cooperation, and drives meaningful change. He noted that the hackathon showcased how young talents from both nations can collaborate successfully to make cities more sustainable, efficient, and citizen-friendly.
🗣 General Director Uzun highlighted Türkiye’s advancements in technology and innovation, stating that the country has over 10,000 tech companies and more than 1,600 R&D centers. With 7 million university students, Turkey holds great potential in innovation. He also invited Greek teams to TEKNOFEST 2025 in Istanbul this fall.
🗣 CEO Tüzgen emphasized that the biggest achievement of the hackathon was bringing together young talents from both nations to develop innovative and solution-oriented projects. He stated that technology is not just about code and algorithms but about making a real impact on people’s lives and creating social benefits.
🗣 Ambassador Erciyes thanked all institutions and organizations that contributed to the event, stressing that such initiatives strengthen bilateral relations and should continue in the future.
Supporting Smart Cities and Innovation
The Turkey-Greece Hackathon was launched under the Smart Cities theme, aiming to:
✅ Support technology and entrepreneurship ecosystems
✅ Encourage innovative projects
✅ Strengthen bilateral cooperation
The competition received applications from 400 teams, with the semi-finals held in Bilişim Vadisi’s Gebze campus on February 20-21. Out of 20 teams, the top six advanced to the finals in Athens.
