CopernicusLAC Panamá Hackathon 2026 - Seguridad alimentaria

About

The Copernicus Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), based in Panama (CopernicusLAC Panama), is a regional hub aimed at improving the resilience of Latin American and Caribbean countries by supporting their ability to manage spatial data and use it strategically in a region particularly vulnerable to weather events and geological or geomorphological hazards worsened by climate change which all have a huge impact on food security. 1. Registering for the Hackathon Click the orange button "⚡ LOG IN TO JOIN" or "⚡JOIN HACKATHON", depending on whether you already have a TAIKAI account or need to create one. Your registration will be considered complete once you’ve filled in our form and chosen your hackathon location. You’re in! You’re now part of the 3rd CopernicusLAC Hackathon: Food security. Next, go to the matchmaking tab and find teammates. Teams must be formed before registration closes. 2. Prizes 🙌 You’re in luck! At the CopernicusLAC Panama Hackathon, exciting prizes await — you won’t want to miss out. Check them out in the prizes tab. 3. What is the CopernicusLAC Hackathon? The Copernicus Center for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Panama, is a regional hub enhancing the region’s ability to manage spatial data and use it strategically to address weather events and geohazards worsened by climate change. The main goal of the hackathon is to boost Copernicus’ presence in Latin America and the Caribbean by enabling participants to solve regional challenges through Copernicus and its free geospatial technologies. It also aims to spark entrepreneurship by transferring Europe’s experience to the region. You don’t need prior experience in space hackathons. Check out our three challenges*: (*Listed as "Categories" on the TAIKAI platform) 4. Who Can Participate? Participation criteria 👥 Over 18 years old: Students, researchers, professionals, and public officials.Anyone with an idea that can be solved using Earth observation and Copernicus.Open to the general public, subject to team rules. 🌎 Team criteria: At least half the team must be residents or nationals of a Latin American or Caribbean country.Teams must have between 2 and 6 members. Development rules: The competition rules are on the "Rules" page. Official languages: Spanish Portuguese English 5. Competition Process The hackathon lasts two weeks. Teams will build and maintain their team pages on TAIKAI. These will be evaluated by expert judges across two phases: 1. First Phase: Duration: July 21 May to 31 May Participants: All registered teams Goal: Filter out teams that do not meet the expected standards or haven’t made enough progress Deliverable: Completed team page with all relevant info (video optional)Result: Eliminated teams will not move to Phase 2 2. Second Phase: Duration: June 1 to June 7 Participants: Teams that passed Phase 1 Goal: Improve and finalize projects Deliverable: Updated team page with relevant info (video required)Result: Top 5 teams (max) advance to the final 3. 🔝 Final: Format: 3-minute pitch Participants: Finalist teams Presentation: Present ideas and project progress to the jury Evaluation: The jury will decide the winners Summary: This is a two-week competition with a mid-point elimination and a final round culminating in a pitch to the jury. 6. Key Dates 🏁 May 20 | Registration closes Hurry! Register before the deadline — this applies to you and your teammates. To participate, you must have a team formed and a project created before the registration closes. 🚀 May 21 | Kick-off event Join the inaugural event with special guests, information about the hackathon, and… bonus points for the fastest participants! ✅ May 31 | First submission Show your commitment and effort with the first submission, which takes place at the end of the first week. This round will help identify promising teams and provide feedback ahead of the second and final submission. Take this chance to prove your potential and get valuable tips for improvement! ❓ June 01 | Feedback on first submission Receive feedback and find out whether you’ve made it to the second stage of the Hackathon. ✅ June 7 | Second submission Submit your final work on time for a chance to win an invitation to the FINAL! 📅 June 10 | Finalist announcement Find out if you’ve made it to the FINAL and are eligible for the prizes. 🏆 June 11 | Final ceremony and prize awards Take part in the final — whether as a finalist or an attendee, there will be surprises for EVERYONE! 7. Evaluation Criteria Solutions will be judged using four criteria: Relevance (25%) – Does the project respond to a challenge? Does it use Copernicus data? Innovation (25%) – How novel is the idea vs. existing solutions? Viable business potential? Team quality (25%) – Are technical, business, and creative skills appropriate? Impact (25%) – What is the social and commercial viability of the idea? What potential does the idea have for market adoption and the development of a scalable business model? Questions? Check the FAQ tab or email us at contact@copernicuslac-panama.eu.