Innovating for Socio-Technological Citizenship: Highlights from the NeurotechEU Hackathon 2024

Last November, The European University of Brain and Technology —NeurotechEU—celebrated the II Edition of the NeurotechEU Hackathon. From 12 to 14 November 2024, the Hackathon brought together more than 30 students and researchers at Boğaziçi University (Istanbul) from NeurotechEU partner universities to brainstorm and develop solutions to this edition’s theme: “Improving Collective Mental Health through Socio-Technological Citizenship”. 

What is a Hackathon?

A hackathon is an intensive event where multidisciplinary teams collaborate on innovative solutions to a specific challenge. Participants have limited time to brainstorm, design, and pitch their ideas, fostering creativity and teamwork. The NeurotechEU Hackathon embraced this spirit by encouraging participants from the 8 partner universities to engage with real-world societal challenges.

II NuerotechEU Hackathon

The participants were distributed in seven teams and were asked to conceptualize  neurotechnologies that address factors contributing to mental health issues, emphasizing ethics, inclusivity, and user-centered design. Evaluation criteria included significance, innovation, and feasibility, challenging teams to create impactful and actionable ideas.

The winner of the II NeurotechEU Hackathon created “The Other Side,” an algorithmic tool embedded in operating systems to counter polarization. By offering balanced perspectives and reducing echo chambers, it aimed to restore trust and agency among users in digital spaces. The judges awarded this team the top prize for their innovative and scalable solution to combating digital polarization.

About each team:

• Team 1: Developed an open data ecosystem for maternal health, integrating wearable technologies like fNIRS and EEG devices. Their platform provided real-time insights into stress and well-being during pregnancy, empowering healthcare providers and policymakers​.
• Team 2: Proposed a gamified platform for civic engagement, teaching critical thinking and promoting active participation in sociopolitical environments. The app bridged citizens and municipalities to foster a more inclusive and engaged society​.
• Team 3 (Winner): Created “The Other Side,” an algorithmic tool embedded in operating systems to counter polarization. By offering balanced perspectives and reducing echo chambers, it aimed to restore trust and agency among users in digital spaces​.
• Team 4: Focused on building real-world communities through social media, connecting users with local events to promote mental well-being and social support. Their platform used AI to curate events aligned with user interests and needs​.
• Team 5: Designed a personalized stress management system using wearable technology like ECG and EEG kits. Their solution combined individual and environmental data to recommend stress-reducing activities and safer urban routes​.
• Team 6: Presented the “Comm-Out Policy Framework,” empowering governments to create stronger communities through evidence-based recommendations. Their approach combined neurofeedback and communal sentiment analysis to address stress, anxiety, and depression​.
• Team 7: Introduced “Nexus,” a gamified educational app integrating mental health, environmental awareness, and cultural understanding. Through interactive lessons and simulations, it aimed to foster empathy, community building, and behavioral change​.

The NeurotechEU Hackathon 2024 exemplified the transformative potential of multidisciplinary collaboration in addressing pressing global challenges. By blending creativity, science, and technology, participants took significant strides toward NeurotechEU’s mission of building a Science with and for Society. This second edition of the NeurotechEU Hackathon was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME).