Inspiration for the Baltic Region - a transportation hackathon

Inspiration for the Baltic Region - As the city of Thessaloniki embraces sustainable mobility and upgrades its public transport offerings, the redesign of the bus network presents a unique opportunity to better connect modes and deliver a smoother, more reliable door-to-door experience for citizens.

The Thessaloniki Public Transport 2.0 Hackathon will take place 14 March. It serves as inspiration to Baltic region cities to convene stakeholders around turning ideas about transportation problems into real solutions for a city.

This hackathon invites teams to develop practical solutions for bus operations and the transition to zero-emission fleets. The Transport Authority of Thessaloniki (TheTA), together with the E-MED project and with support from EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, open registrations for the Thessaloniki Public Transport 2.0 Hackathon.

The hackathon invites participants to turn ideas into actionable concepts that improve public transport performance and passenger experience in Thessaloniki. The system is designed to serve a metropolitan area with a population of over one million residents. Greece’s second city also unveiled its metro in 2024. The network handles an estimated 250,000 passengers a day.

During the hackathon, participants will work in teams, receive guidance from mentors and relevant professionals, and pitch their proposals directly to a jury connected to Thessaloniki’s transport ecosystem. No coding experience necessary.

“This important initiative is not about innovation for its own sake. Our objective is to mobilise teams to work on two critical priorities: improving the efficiency of today’s urban public transport services and strategically planning the transition to a zero-emission fleet. TheTA actively supports this hackathon, as it represents a meaningful mechanism for generating implementable solutions, grounded in reliable data, advanced tools, and close collaboration with key stakeholders across the transport ecosystem,” said Ioannis Toskas, CEO, Transport Authority of Thessaloniki (TheTA).

As a supporting entity, EIT Urban Mobility brings its knowledge in urban and public transport to help shape the concept of the hackathon while also leveraging its network of experts to recruit mentors and speakers.

Two challenges, one mission: better public transport

On Day 1, teams will be work on one of two challenges:

• Challenge 1 – Optimise TheTA’s Current Operations
  Teams will identify where Thessaloniki’s bus operations can work smarter, faster, or more efficiently for passengers, including ideas for improved route planning, scheduling, passenger flow, and performance monitoring.

Participants will have access to a public transport network design tool developed by CERTH, capable of optimising the assignment of buses to routes and adapting routes to better complement the new metro line.

• Challenge 2 – Build TheTA’s Zero-Emission Bus Fleet Game Plan
  Teams will develop a realistic transition strategy for a low- or zero-emission bus fleet, addressing which buses or routes should be prioritised, where and when buses should charge or refuel, and what depot and charging/refuelling infrastructure is required.

Participants will be supported by tools developed by IDIADA and CERTH to aid planning for electric bus operations and depot charging infrastructure.

Prizes - The jury will select two winning teams – one per challenge. Each winning team will receive a €1,500 cash prize, and each member of the winning teams will receive six months of unlocks from hop, the e-scooter sharing service available in Thessaloniki, Athens and Patras. Additional prizes could be announced.

Participation is open to individuals of any legal age, as well as pre-formed groups. Teams should consist of 4 – 6 participants. Individuals registering alone will have the opportunity to join an existing team or form a new one during a team-forming session on Day 1. Gender-balanced teams are encouraged to bring different perspectives and ideas.

Inspiration for the Baltic Region - As the city of Thessaloniki embraces sustainable mobility and upgrades its public transport offerings, the redesign of the bus network presents a unique opportunity to better connect modes and deliver a smoother, more reliable door-to-door experience for citizens.