[#b hack]: Click for Climate Action

(NB: This news article has been translated and adapted from a press release issued by the TH Lübeck. Access the original article in German here.)

Sleeping at the airport to make it in time after a rerouted flight? That's the level of commitment shown by Wiktor Jeryś. The 18-year-old student was rewarded for his perseverance. His team - comprising Wiktor Jeryś (Poland), Louise Coram-Lasnier (Sweden), Mikhail Didiura (Lithuania), Shivang Gupta (Finland), Bhanu Prasanna Koppolu (Germany), and Jueye Tao (Germany) - was the clear winner of #b_hack 2025, third Baltic Sea Region Hackathon co-organised by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).

Visualising Climate Risks and Empowering Action
"After their presentation, I knew they would win," said the team's mentor Raha Nouri from Stadtwerke Lübeck. The team developed a platform prototype that enables users to explore climate risks-such as pollution, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels-on an interactive map. But it doesn't stop there: the map also highlights local initiatives, encouraging users to take direct action and feel empowered, rather than overwhelmed by climate data. "I'm really pleased-it was worth all the hard work," said team member Shivang Gupta.

International Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
"With current geopolitical tensions, we're seeing the foundations of our rules-based society increasingly being challenged. Ensuring digital sovereignty through open-source solutions is therefore a top priority," said Dirk Schrödter, Minister for Digitalisation. "International knowledge-sharing, exchanging experiences, and learning from one another are essential as we navigate digital transformation-and the Baltic Sea Region plays a crucial role in this. I'm delighted to see so many enthusiastic young people from across the region come together in Lübeck to collaborate and create digital solutions. Their creativity is driving positive change for the future of the region."

Workshop Topics: From Smart Grids to Climate-Conscious AI
Across seven interdisciplinary workshops, participants created practical prototypes: from smart energy systems for lowering household consumption and making smart homes more efficient and less polluting, and a holistic app to help people settle into new cities, to tools for improving access to healthcare, Sealink-an app that connects start-ups with investors-an exchange student housing platform, resource-efficient and privacy protecting AI based on EdgeAI hardware, and the winning interactive climate map for the Baltic Sea region.

Fostering Innovation in the Baltic Sea Region
Werner Schwarz, Schleswig-Holstein's Minister for Agriculture, Rural Areas, Europe, and Consumer Protection, emphasised the hackathon's regional importance: "The Baltic Sea Region is one of Schleswig-Holstein's most important European partners. Through the Baltic Sea Region Hackathon, we're helping to support and connect young talent."

Young People Driving Policy and Progress
"This hackathon clearly shows how vital young people's ideas are to the future of our region," said Markus Helavuori, Deputy Director General of the CBSS, at the close of the event. "The Baltic Sea region needs bold, cross-border thinking to tackle shared challenges-from well-being and climate change to hybrid threats. Events like this ensure that young people are not only heard but also included as co-creators of policy and progress." According to Helavuori, the results will now be passed on to CBSS experts for further development.

About the Baltic Sea Region Hackathon
For the third time, the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences (TH Lübeck) hosted young technology enthusiasts from across the Baltic Sea Region. From 24 to 27 July 2025, 47 participants from ten countries worked intensively on digital solutions for real social challenges. Over the course of three days and across seven thematic tracks, they developed creative prototypes offering new perspectives in artificial intelligence, sustainability, healthcare, entrepreneurship, mobility, housing, and cross-border collaboration.

The hackathon is organised and funded by the State of Schleswig-Holstein, in partnership with the CBSS and TH Lübeck. From 2024 to 2026, Schleswig-Holstein holds the BSSSC presidency, focusing on clearing underwater munitions, expanding renewable energy, and advancing digitalisation and AI throughout the region.