EU space technology hackathon comes to Bucharest in November

The CASSINI Hackathon will take place in Bucharest from November 27 to 29, offering a EUR 2,000 prize to the winning team. Registration for the European Commission-backed competition is open until November 20.

Organized locally by the Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA), the event will be held at the PRECIS Center of the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest.

The hackathon will run simultaneously in Romania and nine other European countries under the theme “EU Space for Peace & Resilience.” Participants will develop prototypes using data and infrastructure from European space programs such as Galileo, Copernicus, and EGNOS.

The projects will address three areas: cybersecurity for strategic capabilities that rely on space technologies, crisis response and civil resilience, and the use of space data to combat transnational crime and terrorism.

“Space technologies are no longer just a frontier of innovation; they are also an essential resource for protecting communities and anticipating risks,” ROTSA president Cristian Dascălu said. “Through CASSINI Hackathon, we aim to mobilize the potential of Romanian entrepreneurs, researchers, and specialists to turn European space data and technologies into practical solutions.”

The competition is open to entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers, designers, students, and professionals from other fields. Programming experience or previous specialization in the space industry is not required, while teams must have between three and eight members.

Romania’s winning team will advance to the European stage, where national winners will present their projects on December 2. The top three teams will receive EUR 5,000, EUR 3,000, and EUR 1,000, respectively, as well as access to a six-month mentoring program.

“CASSINI Hackathon gives participants the opportunity to tackle complex challenges, test ideas, and understand what it takes to develop a viable solution,” said Ovidiu Rațiu, founder of Control Data Systems and vice-president of the SpaceTech Cluster, mentor and jury member at CASSINI Hackathon.