Sustainability Hackathon: a hackathon for a greener future

Organizing a sustainability hackathon? While hackathons were originally known for the technological innovations they generated, more and more hackathons are being organized with sustainability as the theme. For example, we recently organized the ‘CO2 Reduction Sustainathon’ for Engie’s internal team and the ‘Challenge Future-Proof Housing Construction’ for the Province of South Holland, where five teams were each rewarded with €75,000 in subsidies to actually implement their ideas to develop sustainable, affordable, and scalable starter homes.

The need for sustainability hackathons

Sustainability is one of the most discussed topics today, and rightly so. With climate change and environmental issues threatening our planet, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions. This is where hackathons come into play. These intensive, collaborative events bring together creative minds from diverse disciplines to generate new ideas and solutions.

The importance of the sustainability hackathon

Tailor Made Hackathon recognizes the importance of sustainability and has therefore dedicated a specific hackathon format to this crucial topic. We have organized dozens of these types of hackathons. So, do you want to organize an internal sustainability hackathon with your team? Or do you want to create a challenge where more parties can participate and share their expertise? We are well-versed in this and are happy to guide you from A to Z, taking you through everything involved in organizing such an event.

Sustainability Hackathon: what’s Involved?

Team composition
During a sustainability hackathon, participants split into different teams. Often, each team consists of about 5 people. A hackathon works best when you create multi-disciplinary teams, so participants can complement each other from their own expertise and take on their own role within their team. This is essential for solving complex sustainability issues.

Understanding the problem and developing ideas
Teams often start by understanding the problem. Then they determine together what to focus on during the hackathon and what not to. It’s crucial to clearly define the case question that participants will work on beforehand. This ensures that you achieve as much result as possible in the short time you have during the hackathon. Depending on the case question and the objective of the sustainability event, we always create a customized process. This way, the teams come up with as many good ideas as possible and also draw up an action plan and investigate the viability of their idea.

Evaluation and award ceremony
Often, an expert jury evaluates the projects pitched at the end of the sustainability hackathon, after which a winner is announced. Sometimes there is no winner, but there are dragons/key figures who look at how to further develop the ideas. A combination is of course also possible.

Results and impact of sustainability hackathons

Sustainable innovations
Consistently, we notice that a ‘Sustainability Hackathon’ leads to a flow of sustainable innovations. These innovations range from smart energy solutions (see also our energy hackathon) to efficient recycling methods and everything in between. Another example is our hackathon aimed at making laboratories more sustainable. During this event, it emerged that some freezers no longer needed to be frozen at -70 degrees; -30 degrees was sufficient without compromising the safety of the experiments. In addition to sustainability, it also saved a lot of money. By combining the creative forces of diverse teams, innovations and ideas emerge that might otherwise never have seen the light of day.

A small selection of sustainability themes we’ve previously organized sustainability hackathons on:

1. Climate adaptive:  this takes into account changing climate conditions, such as increasing heat, drought, water problems, and the risk of flooding. For example, we organized a hackathon on this for the Municipality of Rotterdam.

2. Nature-inclusive: this approach contributes to local biodiversity and natural values, creating a living environment for (protected) species such as birds. The construction of fauna exchange at railway underpasses is an illustrative example of this.

3. Circular and bio-based: circular focuses on the reusability of materials, where current products form the raw materials for the future. The central goal is to close the waste cycle without generating new waste. Bio-based uses materials derived from renewable resources, such as wood and grasses, which can regrow within a short time. Fossil raw materials, stone, and sand are not renewable resources.

4. Health: comfort and a healthy living climate are central to this theme. This includes, for example, good insulation, effective ventilation, attention to greening, humidity, natural light, dust levels, use of healthy materials, and color use.

5. Zero-emission: this goes beyond just the construction process, but encompasses the entire supply chain. Many materials are extracted in polluting ways, and many heavy machines use fossil fuels. Zero-emission construction involves making smart design choices and choosing sustainable materials. Sometimes urban and infrastructure logistics are also considered.

Awareness & collaboration during a sustainability hackathon
In addition to concrete projects, the hackathon contributes to greater awareness about sustainability. It brings together individuals and organizations that may not have worked together before, leading to fruitful collaborations for future sustainable initiatives.

Want to organize a sustainability hackathon too?

As an organization, you may have been inspired and are considering organizing a similar event yourself. We have years of experience in organizing hackathons with a focus on sustainability. We can help you from A to Z. Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities.