Frequently Asked Questions
AI - Hackathon
The Grand Prize is €500 (EUR) awarded to the winner of the OpenAIRE AI Hackathon. The prize will be paid via bank transfer directly to the winner's bank account.
Requirements vary based on the recipient’s location:
For recipients residing in Greece:
- Full name
- Tax ID number
- Home address
- IBAN/bank details
- An Award Acceptance Statement confirming acceptance and tax handling according to Greek law
For recipients residing outside Greece:
- Full name
- Country of tax residence (self-declaration)
IBAN/BIC - Acceptance statement with corresponding wording in English
The prize may be withheld if no submission meets the eligibility criteria, as determined by the evaluation committee.
No. You may use the OpenAIRE Graph exclusively or in combination with additional data sources or code at your discretion. However, the OpenAIRE Graph must play a primary role in your solution and must fulfill the hackathon goals.
There are four open modalities to access the OpenAIRE Graph:
|
Access Method |
Description |
|
Public APIs |
Programmatic access to metadata on publications, datasets, software, projects, organisations, and their relationships via OpenAIRE Public APIs. |
|
Full Dataset Download |
Periodic dumps of the OpenAIRE Graph published on Zenodo, suitable for large-scale offline analyses. |
|
Cloud Access |
OpenAIRE Graph exposed on Google BigQuery for scalable processing without downloading the full dataset. |
|
Graph AI Gateway (MCP) |
MCP server access powered by Alien Intelligence for AI-driven integration. |
There are no restrictions on eligibility based on gender, country, affiliation, career stage, or job position. Anyone can participate in the hackathon. A restriction applies to respect code of ethics and licensing of OpenAIRE Graph (CC-BY 4.0).
Submissions are expected by 20th August 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
The winner will be announced on the OpenAIRE Graph Community Call on 16th September 2026 from 11:00-12:00 CEST. At least one team member (or the individual if submitting solo) must be present during the announcement to receive the prize.
A dedicated evaluation committee composed of 4-5 members from OpenAIRE and Alien Intelligence will assess submissions based on:
- Novelty and innovation
- Use of the OpenAIRE Graph and AI
- Impact of the results obtained
Committee members with a conflict of interest in any submission are required to recuse themselves from evaluating that particular entry. The committee's decisions are final.
Yes. Minutes and documentation of applications, data, code, documentation, and evaluation results will be retained to document the applications received, the assessment, and the winner selection.
General
OpenAIRE Innovation is a new initiative by OpenAIRE in Europe, to operate as a trusted hub for open science innovation and responsible industry collaboration. It provides open research infrastructure, data, services, and expertise that innovators from industry, research, and civil society can use to build new products and services or co-create solutions with OpenAIRE's team.
OpenAIRE Innovation welcomes partners from multiple sectors:
- Industry: AI developers, publishers, data platforms, analytics firms, and innovators
- Research and Public Innovation: Researchers, universities, public infrastructures, citizen science initiatives
- Civil Society: Civic tech builders and social innovators
- Startups & Spin-offs: Early-stage companies building on open research data
OpenAIRE Innovation offers a complete ecosystem including:
|
Asset |
Description |
|
OpenAIRE Graph |
200M+ records linking publications, datasets, software, organisations and funders |
|
Indicators & Analytics |
Research impact metrics, funder compliance monitoring, and Open Science uptake indicators |
|
Services & Tools |
Data management tools, monitoring dashboards, metadata validators, broker services |
|
Training & Capacity |
OpenPlato courses, certification pathways, joint bootcamps, and staff exchanges |
|
Infrastructure Components |
Repository platforms, registries, aggregation pipelines used by 10,000+ data sources |
|
Compliance Support |
Alignment with AI Act, DSM Directive, Data Governance Act, GDPR |
OpenAIRE Innovation offers two main collaboration models:
Build on What Exists
Integrate the OpenAIRE Graph, indicators, services, and infrastructure components into your own products and workflows. Use proven, documented services ready to deploy.
Co-Create What Comes Next
Work directly with OpenAIRE teams to develop new indicators, tools, services, or training activities. Combine your domain expertise with OpenAIRE's data, infrastructure, and community.
All collaborations at OpenAIRE Innovation are grounded in these non-negotiable principles:
Openness by default
- Transparency and accountability
- Commitment to members and the commons
- Respecting existing business models
- Exploring new business models together
- Reciprocity and mutual benefit
- Legal and ethical alignment
- FAIR and responsible data practices
- Interoperability and open standards
- Knowledge sharing and capacity building
The OpenAIRE Graph contains 200+ million records linking publications, datasets, software, organisations, and funders. It aggregates data from 10,000+ data sources across 40+ countries, making it the richest open research knowledge graph in Europe.
Yes. OpenAIRE is committed to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and responsible data practices. All data and services are designed with FAIR principles at their core, ensuring data quality, compliance with European legal frameworks, and ethical standards.
OpenAIRE Innovation has established governance bodies to ensure legal and ethical compliance:
- Programme Steering Committee: Guides strategy and ensures ethical and legal alignment
- Legal and Ethics Board: Oversees compliance with EU legal frameworks (AI Act, DSM Directive, Data Governance Act, GDPR)
- Advisory Group: Provides external perspective from academia, funders, and civil society
- Operational Team: Coordinates activities and ensures FAIR and GDPR compliance
OpenAIRE Innovation ensures alignment with key EU legal frameworks including the AI Act, DSM Directive, Data Governance Act, and GDPR. Additionally, OpenAIRE is actively involved in shaping policies through participation in EOSC, the RAISE initiative, the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, UNESCO Open Science, and the Research Data Alliance.
There are several ways to engage with OpenAIRE Innovation:
- Browse and respond to open calls for innovation pilots and partnerships
- Explore Innovation Tracks to find collaboration pathways suited to your sector
- Attend the Open Science and Industry Forum and other networking events
- Contact OpenAIRE directly to discuss a custom collaboration
Innovation Tracks are structured pathways for collaboration between OpenAIRE and innovators from different sectors. They provide clear frameworks for building on OpenAIRE assets, co-creating new services, or accessing training and capacity-building support tailored to your sector's needs.
OpenAIRE offers several training and capacity-building pathways, including OpenPlato courses, certification pathways, joint bootcamps with partners, and staff exchange programs. These cover topics such as open science fundamentals, FAIR data management, and responsible AI.
OpenAIRE is a European non-profit infrastructure serving the common good. Partnering with OpenAIRE signals responsibility and builds credibility with funders and regulators while maintaining commitment to open science values.
OpenAIRE provides extensive resources including policy documents, guides, tutorials, and technical documentation on the website. You can also access the OpenAIRE Graph documentation, explore case studies of successful collaborations, and review news and announcements about upcoming opportunities.
Here you can read our principles and how we collaborate.
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