BioBoosters Hackathon

Turn sustainability challenges into concrete business opportunities

Embark on an intensive innovation journey to accelerate green transition. BioBoosters Hackathon connects companies with innovators to solve real business challenges. The intensive and engaging innovation competition helps discover and test circular bioeconomy solutions in an effective and fun way.

Win-win for all

The hackathon journey goes beyond competition. Participants take away new insights and build valuable connections that can lead to unexpected collaboration with the challenge providers, mentors, and even other teams. No need to have a prior experience or even a Business ID - the competition is open to early ideas, challenge-specific concepts, and ready solutions that match the challenge. Each selected team is supported by a multidisciplinary mentoring team, helping to refine the solution, commercialise the innovation and prepare for the stage.

40+

Hackathons

delivered successfully

9

Organisers

within the BioBoosters Network around the Baltic Sea

230

Solution provider teams

mentored in hackathons

Adding muscles with BioBoosters Network

A network specialised in solving circular bioeconomy challenges grew from a hands-on development project focused on the BioBoosters Hackathon concept. Sharing a passion for boosting circular transition in bioeconomy sectors, the network unlocks the scouting power through relevant networks in the Baltic Sea region and beyond.

BioBoosters Network

A Turnkey Service

The hackathon delivers real impact with a professionally facilitated process – keeping the innovation path simple for participants. As a turnkey service the process is fully supported from start to finish, requiring only a few working days effort from the challenge provider. As a challenge provider, you define the scope of the challenge, and we take care of finding the right solutions to solve them.

What's in it for you?

The hackathon is a joint effort where ideas and expertise are shared openly and confidentially among challenge providers, solution providers, and mentors.

Challenge provider

Launch commercial or R&D partnerships to meet your sustainability aims.
Save your working time. We offer a guided and efficient service for reaching out to new solution ideas and partners.
Learn new perspectives on your sustainability challenge and be surprised by out-of-box solutions.
Get the expertise and support you need to pilot and uptake solution to your challenge.
Increase the visibility of your company’s sustainability work.

Solution Provider

Test your business idea with direct customer feedback.
Launch a commercial or R&D project with the client company.
Grow your network and build partnerships with companies and experts.
Get the expertise and support to test your idea and commercialise your innovation.
Benefit from international visibility for your team's know-how and solutions.

Mentor

Support the green transition and the development of responsible business.
Learn from real-life business challenges and develop as an expert.
Grow your network and build partnerships with businesses and experts.
Take advantage of international visibility for your own and your organisation's expertise.
Join business-oriented development projects.
Learn about our mentoring principles.

As an organiser of the Hackathon

Support your client companies' green transition and sustainable development aims.
Support innovative SMEs and startups in accessing business opportunities
Reach out to experts and talent from international and cross-sector networks to join the Hackathon.
Leverage the well-known Hackathon brand and impressive references.
Gain international visibility for your organisation's and region's expertise.
Help launch business-oriented development projects.

Latest hackathon news

4.5.2026

New ideas for industrial side streams in the Meri-Lappi region – ReFlow Hackathon winner proposes microalgae-based solution

Nine teams showcased diverse concepts and practical solutions at an innovation competition held in Jyväskylä in late April. Winner was Jamk Leväryhmä, a team of engineering students focusing on the cultivation and further processing of microalgae.

19.2.2026

Jukolan Juusto Hackathon delivered high‑value ideas for whey refinement – victory to Aircohol for using whey as a growth medium for algae

At the Jukolan Juusto Hackathon in February 2026, teams sought ways to utilise whey, a cheese‑production side stream from Jukolan Juusto. The winner was Aircohol, which uses whey as a growth medium for microalgae.

16.12.2025

Hackathon Handbook outlines challenge-driven open innovation practice

The BioBoosters - Boosting Circular Transition project has been piloting international model to create a scalable hackathon concept that can continue beyond the project. Now, it is documented in ‘How to be a BioBooster! Hackathon handbook’.

BioBoosters Hackathon Highlights

From discovering new value from side streams to finding sustainable biobased materials, BioBoosters Hackathons help make business more sustainable, one hackathon at a time.