Zona Franca and CEEI have organized this international competition in Cádiz promoted by the Campus Mondial de la Mer since 2016 and which, throughout the weekend, will seek innovative solutions to challenges related to the ocean and the seas
The State delegate, Fran González, opened the event accompanied by the manager of CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, Miguel Sánchez-Cossío, and wished luck to the almost 70 participants in the six challenges planned in the Cadiz capital this weekend
Cádiz is the only Spanish city that participates in this edition of the Ocean Hackathon and the winning team will go to the grand final in Brest next December
Friday, October 17, 2025
The new recycled maritime container building of Zona Base Incubazul will host this weekend the Ocean Hackathon 2025, which returns to Cádiz as the only participating Spanish city with the help of CEEI Bahía de Cádiz and the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, which with its projects Incubazul, a high-tech incubator in the Blue Economy, and Blue Core Business Incubator 4.0., is setting up a favorable ecosystem to promote talent and entrepreneurship around the marine sector.
Fran González, State delegate in the Free Zone, opened the competition together with the manager of CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, Miguel Sánchez-Cossío, and thanked all the collaborators and participants for their trust and effort in carrying out this international event, wishing them “a profitable weekend and good luck to the almost 70 participants in this edition.”
During his speech at the opening session, the delegate added that in the Free Trade Zone "we have shown that we do not want to miss the existing talent and meetings like this promote the potential of our province at an international level in the field of marine research and innovation as drivers of the economy in the coming years. It is important to note that the participants in this weekend's challenges can become part of our entrepreneurial ecosystem and be part of the great Blue Economy pole that "We are configuring and one of them will go to the grand final to compete with teams from all over the world."
González has highlighted "the importance of collaboration between entities, as is the case of CEEI on this occasion, to continue weaving networks and alliances in favor of creating opportunities and attracting talent around the blue sector. We are firm defenders of joint work, as has already been demonstrated in the recent celebration of this year's Blue Zone Forum with Navalia and the agreement with the UCA to go hand in hand in that event in even years."
For his part, the manager of CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, Miguel Sánchez-Cossío, stressed that “the Ocean Hackathon® highlights the potential of the blue economy and consolidates Cádiz as a benchmark in marine and technological innovation.” He also highlighted that "this event represents a key piece within our strategy to promote the blue economy. We are committed to an open innovation model, in which companies, entrepreneurs, knowledge centers and administrations work together to respond to the great challenges of our environment."
Sánchez-Cossío has especially appreciated the collaboration of the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, “a strategic ally with which we have been promoting key projects that make it possible for international initiatives such as the Ocean Hackathon® to be held in our province.”
Likewise, he encouraged the participating teams to “make the most of this experience to generate solutions with global impact” and highlighted that “Cádiz has talent, infrastructure and a community committed to the sea.”
After the institutional opening, the presentation of the almost 70 participants took place, who were distributed into the six teams corresponding to the six challenges on which they will have to generate innovative solutions to problems linked to the ocean for 48 hours. Thus, the participants will work throughout the weekend on the six challenges and it will be on Sunday afternoon when the winning team will be known that will compete on December 2 in the grand world final in the city of Brest along with the winners from the other participating cities in the world.
The development of Ocean Hackathon, led by CEEI Bahía de Cádiz under the coordination of Miriam Almagro Parrado, responsible for Projects and Consulting at said entity, framed within the SaferSEA European Project co-financed by Interreg Atlantic Area, will have major axes on which the participating teams will have to work: the decarbonization of maritime transport (clean energy, energy efficiency, emissions reduction); marine pollution (plastic detection, waste management or smart sensors) and maritime safety (accident prevention, autonomous navigation, surveillance). It was an essential condition that the challenges had to be based on the use of digital data, satellite images, marine maps and oceanographic predictions, among others.
Participants will have a complete support team at their disposal, with specialized mentors. This team will be made up of Roberto Martínez Sánchez, computer engineer and data expert from the Provincial Council of Cádiz; María Dolores Macías Sánchez, doctor and marine researcher at the University of Cádiz; Ezequiel Andreu, professor, researcher and expert in ecosystems and marine species; Juan Antonio Martínez, president of Ecologistas en Acción Andalucía; Carlos Delgado, founder, podcaster and treasurer of Sevilla UP; and Cecilio Martínez, business mentor and master of ceremonies of the event.
It should be noted that Cádiz will compete with other American, African and European cities such as Rimouski and Victoria (Canada); Peniche (Portugal); Heredia (Costa Rica); Paucarpata (Peru); Salvador (Brazil); Cape Town (South Africa); Pointe Noire (Congo); Djerba (Tunisia); Split (Croatia); Toulon and Brest (France).
Straight six
Based on these premises, the teams will have to address the solutions with six challenges:
Challenge1. “Preventive Solution for the Management of Tourist Waste in Coastal Areas.” Tourist activity, especially in coastal areas, generates a large amount of urban waste that negatively impacts marine ecosystems and the quality of life of residents and visitors. This challenge poses the development of a practical and preventive solution that acts before waste reaches the natural environment, reducing the generation of plastics, textiles, packaging and other waste related to tourism.
Challenge 2 “Sal Watch: Intelligent Conservation of the Salt Flats of the Bay of Cádiz”. The traditional salt flats of the Bay of Cádiz represent a natural, ecological and productive heritage of great value. However, many of them face processes of deterioration and abandonment that compromise their functionality, their biodiversity and their role as a natural barrier against flooding. This challenge proposes the development of a tool based on predictive models and geospatial data analysis to evaluate the state of conservation of the salt flats and anticipate their deterioration. The objective is to provide public administrations with a preventive planning system, which allows prioritizing actions, optimizing resources and avoiding economic, social and environmental impacts derived from their degradation.
Challenge 3. “Prevention and Response to Black Tides in the Bay of Cádiz.” The Bay of Cádiz, a strategic enclave due to its biodiversity and economic activity, is exposed to a high risk of contamination from hydrocarbon spills due to intense maritime traffic. This challenge proposes the development of a predictive system and a comprehensive response plan that allows us to anticipate the effects of an oil spill and act quickly and effectively to protect the natural environment, fishing, tourism and the local economy. The solution must contemplate both technological tools and action protocols, allowing the most vulnerable areas to be identified, the environmental and economic impacts to be estimated, and the different agents involved to be coordinated.
Challenge 4. “Biofuels from MARPOL Waste: Circular Economy in European Ports”. Oily waste generated by port activity, especially those classified as MARPOL (those generated on board ships during their service, maintenance and cleaning, which must be delivered to port facilities), constitute a persistent environmental threat in ports and coastal areas. Although there is favorable legislation for its correct management, in practice its use is minimal, and its impact remains high. This challenge proposes a comprehensive solution based on the principles of the circular economy, with the aim of cleaning hydrocarbon spills on land and sea and transforming them into biofuels through the use of natural absorbents and thermal recovery processes.
Challenge 5. “Smart Gate 360: Intelligent Access Control in Ports”. Ports are critical infrastructures where security, efficiency and fluid access are essential. This challenge proposes the design of an intelligent access control system for vehicles and people in port environments, combining automation, real-time data analysis and machine learning. The solution must make it possible to monitor, optimize and anticipate entry and exit flows, improving both the user experience and the overall operation of the port. Furthermore, the system must be scalable and adaptable to different port contexts within Spanish territory.
Challenge 6. “Inclusive Platform for Marine Environmental Control with Artificial Intelligence”. The marine environment faces multiple threats derived from pollution, climate change and human pressure on coastal ecosystems. This challenge poses the development of a technological platform based on artificial intelligence that allows monitoring the environmental state of the sea through the analysis of parameters such as water quality, biodiversity, temperature or the evolution of climatic phenomena. The proposal seeks to generate a tool that is not only technically advanced, but also socially accessible. Therefore, the system must present the data in a visual and intuitive way, promoting citizen participation and environmental awareness.