In their joint announcement the deputy foreign ministers of Greece and TurkeyCostas Fragogiannis and Mehmet Kemal Bozai respectively, announced the upcoming Hackathon Greece – Turkey 2024. An event which, as they point out in the joint announcement, is dedicated to promoting cooperation and innovation between the two nations.

The main area, which the Hackathon will focus on according to the same announcement, isand Smart Cities, and for this reason, high school and university students, startup executives and scientists from Greece and Turkey, aged 16-35, are invited to participate in this “landmark” event.

The goal of the event, as described in the joint announcement by the two deputy ministers, is to bring young people closer, and “through synergies and coordinated efforts, they have the power to bridge cultures, innovate and offer solutions that will make life easier for citizens of both countries”.

In detail, the joint announcement of the two Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Fragogianni and Bozai is as follows:

“We, the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, are pleased to announce the upcoming Hackathon Greece – Turkey 2024. The event is dedicated to promoting cooperation and innovation between our two nations. This important initiative, which is co-organized by Bilişim Vadisi, the Technology and Innovation Base of Turkey, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkey, and the Athens Startup Incubator (THEA of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry), aims to leverage of the creative energy of our brightest minds to develop solutions that will have a lasting positive impact on society. The main area the Hackathon will focus on is Smart Cities. It includes innovative solutions to improve life in cities through technology, address critical environmental challenges, promote sustainability and improve security and emergency response mechanisms.

For this reason, we invite high school and university students, startup executives and scientists from Greece and Turkey, aged 16-35, to participate in this landmark event. Young people, through synergies and concerted efforts, have the power to bridge cultures, innovate and offer solutions that will make life easier for the citizens of both countries. Participants will take part in a series of intensive brainstorming sessions, workshops and iterative programming exercises, while working in joint teams to address key challenges. More details and registration information will be announced soon. We look forward to your participation in this landmark event. Together we can innovate for a better and brighter future.”