Download the final ranking list

SUBSCRIBE to the many events in the Agenda
Topics of strong interest and relevance, exceptional Speakers, Moods and Locations complete the right mix that makes participation in the Hackathon Catania events unavoidable!!!!
Not just a Hackathon
GreenMindAI is not only the first major Hackathon event in Catania in recent years, it is also a community that was born with the hackathon but will be the meeting point of ideas and innovations of the growing Catania
Sponsorship opportunities
Do you want to become a sponsor of the largest hackathon ever held by a public administration in Sicily? Find out how by contacting us!
Location

The hackathon will be held in hybrid mode (in-person or remote) at "Palazzo della Cultura," Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 121 - Via Landolina - Catania

Participants

Participation in the Hackathon is open to anyone interested in technology and innovation and bring with them an idea or project proposal, relevant to the goals of the Hackathon, that can be developed within the scope of the challenge.

Goals

Promote innovative solutions for environmental sustainability, waste management, and urban green care through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques foster collaboration among students, researchers, developers, and AI enthusiasts

Registration and Participation

Participation is free and includes access to all activities, mentorship, and materials at the event. Registration for the event will be open from April 07 until midnight on May 15, 2025; applicants can register by filling out the online form by clicking on Join or the pen above.

If you are a developer and want to practice and challenge yourself in an interactive way, participate in our Hackathon!

Designing and developing your ideas in a dynamic and challenging environment like our hackathon will be a fantastic experience, and you will also be able to help improve your own and the lives of all Catanese

The first Year of GreenMindAI - Catania Hackathon is about to start...

...And with the imminent arrival of the first edition of our annual event, we are already thinking about the next editions.

2025

The year of change

FUTURE

What lies ahead

We design a circular future

Co2 reduction

Waste

Natural Resources

Urban greenery

The Hackathon is designed to bring to life and concretize projects that promote the implementation of the Circular Economy in the city of Catania, involving students, recent graduates and doctoral students in a process of redesigning and redesigning the city.

The event, which will be hybrid with physical headquarters in Catania and will have a national scope, aims to promote research, development and evaluation of innovative digital ideas/projects in order to "educate" the ecosystem on the importance and usefulness of digitization in traditional economic sectors, promote new technologies to improve all sectors thanks also to Big Data and IoT (Internet of Things). In conjunction with the hackathon challenges, there will be several expert talks on relevant topics related to sustainability.

The Agenda

DAY 1 - MAY 27

10.00/11.00NIGHT HALL
 Inauguration GREENMINDAI Catania Hackathon
Greetings Authorities
Presentation "GREENMINDAI Catania Hackathon"
Enrico Trantino - Mayor of Catania
Viviana Lombardo - Councillor for Innovation and Digital Transition - City of Catania
Massimo Pesce - Councillor for Environment, Ecology and Public Green - City of Catania
Vincenzo Passanisi - Director of Digital Systems City of Catania
Lara Riguccio - Director of Environment, Ecology and Public Green - City of Catania
Simone Di Stefano - Project Contact Person Nict Nact Municipality of Catania
 
11.30/12.30NIGHT HALL
 AI Agents: best practices and architectures
A practical introduction to AI Agents: from modern architectures to best practices for integrating them into real projects. The workshop is aimed at developers, startups, technical teams and innovators interested in leveraging artificial intelligence in a modular and efficient way.
Speaker:
Giulio Lecci - AI Engineer Datapizza digital security
Giambattista Pisasale - CTO & Founder Aitho
 
15:30/16:30NIGHT HALL
 Generation Al: Digital skills in innovation professions
Speaker:
Francesco Pignataro - Steve Jobs Academy President
Giovanni Gallo - Professor Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Catania and member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Steve Jobs Academy
Luca Guarnera - Researcher Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Catania;
Luciano De Franco - Legal representative of Paradigma SPA, founding partner of the Steve Jobs Academy
Carlo Rosario Leonardi - Lecturer and member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Steve Jobs Academy.
 
16:30/17:30NIGHT HALL
 Smart City and AI: BIP's contribution to the "intelligent" waste collection and to the valorization and protection of public green areas, through the use of enabling technologies.
“Urban Lab BiodiverCity: Monitoring Urban Green Infrastructures”
Speaker:
Giandomenico Gangemi – Head of the “Territorial Development” service – Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria
 

DAY 2 - MAY 28

10.00/11.00NIGHT HALL
 "Green and accessible city - Responsible waste"
 UICI - Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired Catania
Speaker:
Simonetta Cormaci - Activist for the rights of inclusion of people with disabilities
 
11.00/12.00NIGHT HALL
 "Urban Sustainability: GAIA for Sustainable Cities, Communities Designing the Future"
Program and Speaker:
The objective is to inspire the creation of innovative and feasible solutions for the city of Catania, with respect to the 4 pillars of the hackathon by bringing as an example the ideas brought forward with the GAIA R&D project, done in collaboration with the Kore University of Enna, which works in the field of Smart Cities.
Vladimiro Patatu - Technical Business Development Manager BU RDI - EHT
Miriam Raccuglia - Technical Project Manager BU RDI - EHT
Otmane Mounouar - Technical Project BU RDI - EHT
 
12.00/13.00NIGHT HALL
 "City that listens: smart inclusion for deaf people"
Inclusive technologies, urban spaces and communities for a truly accessible Catania
Speaker:
Rosaria Spinella - Vice-president A.F.A.E (Associazione Famiglie Audiolesi Etnei) ETS Member and expert consultant of the cooperative/social enterprise Mare Laboratorio di Innovazione Sociale
Alessando Muzio - Entrepreneur and Innovation Strategist for social inclusion Expert in technology transfer and accessibility projects in urban and business contexts
 
15:00/16:00NIGHT HALL
 "Sustainable and Connected Communities.
How technology and collaboration enable those who stay, those who return, and those who choose Southern cities" ISLAND CATANIA
Speaker:
Antonio Prota - Founder La Tornanza
Flavio Albano - Tornanza Project Ambassador
Chiara Crisci - Project Manager
Martina Magnano - Impact Management & Institutional Affairs Isola.Catania
Carmelo Traina - Building @FondazioneMarea
 
16:00/17:00NIGHT HALL
 "Beyond the hype: the AI that businesses really need"
Program and Speaker:
Welcome greetings
Barbara Mirabella - Head of institutional relations and territory CDO Sicily
"Agenda for artificial intelligence in Sicilian enterprises"
Claudia Fuccio - Cdo Sicilia regional director
A journey into the latest wonders of Artificial Intelligence
Gabriele Mirabile - Program Manager Beentouch Srl, lecturer and trainer for young entrepreneurs
"AI, privacy and legality: opportunities and rules in the digital ecosystem"
Comparison on the legal aspects of AI use, with reference to European and international regulations such as the new Artificial Intelligence Act.
Natascia Arcifa - Associate Lawyer Giambrone & Partners international law firm, Al Law and Ethics Lecturer
TheAI that listens, talks and builds relationships
Virtual Assistants and concrete case studies where AI has brought competitive advantage.
Giusy Giarracca - CRM Specialist and Omnichannel Manager in Masterboss Italy
Masterclass Human Intelligence
Preview presentation of the "MasterClass on Al" to be held on June 28, 2025.
- Promoted by DIH CDO Sicilia and Associazione Futura -
Networking Aperitif(ONLY HUMAN BEINGS, NO AI)
 
17:30/18:30NIGHT HALL
 "Craft & AI synergies: toward a smart & green Catania"
Program and Speaker:
Greetings
Andrea Milazzo - Secretary CNA Catania and President SinergIA
Inroduce
Antonio Merenda - Innovation manager Hub Imprese CNA
Pitch
Pierluigi Buttiglieri - Digital specialist SinergIA
Speakers (remote)
Domenico Guida - BI-REX Sicily
Marco Baldi - Head of Economic and Social Research Area at CNA National
Conclusions
Carlo Sciuto - President CNA Digital Sicily
 

DAY 3 - MAY 29

10.00/11.00NIGHT HALL
 SMART LAND
Artificial Intelligence at the Service of Enterprises and the Territory
Introduces and coordinates
Arturo Lentini - Vice President Confindustria Catania and Account Manager TIM Enterprise
Speaker:
Fabio Bancalà - CEO Futurea
Arcangelo Bruna - Senior Principal Engineer STMicroelectronics
Carlo Leonardi - Vice President & CBDO Paradigma
Emanuele Ragusa - CTO Gruppo Xenia
 
11.00/12.00NIGHT HALL
 AI Generative for Sustainability: Multimedia Analytics for Security and the Environment
Developments in the field of AI Generative for the creation of intelligent multimedia analytics solutions, with a focus on urban security and the environment (Waste Recycling, Energy Optimization).
Workshop Target: Researchers, Companies, Industry Experts
Speaker:
Sebastiano Battiato - Full Professor of Computer Science at the University of Catania, expert in Computer Vision and Multimedia Forensics. He coordinates projects on deepfake, image/video authenticity and collaborates with law enforcement and digital security institutions.
 
12:00/12:30NIGHT HALL
 "How to do a million euro startup exit in 36 months: lessons after seeing 10,000 startups"
Introduced:
Annarita D'Urso - Managing Director of Le Village by CA Sicilia
Speaker:
Francesco Cracolici - CEO of Nomadic Minds and VP of three early stage funds.
 
15:00/16.00NIGHT HALL
 Exit Strategy in the Age of AI
estinatari: Startuppers, innovative entrepreneurs, managers, innovators, venture capitalists, accelerators, policy makers.
Program and Speaker:
Andrea Battista - CEO of Net Insurance, author of "Exit Strategy" (LUISS University Press, 2025). A long-time manager in the insurance and financial sectors, he led one of the most successful digital and industrial transformation operations in Italy, culminating in a planned and successful exit path.
Sebastiano Bavetta - Professor of Economics at the University of Palermo. An expert in the economics of freedom and institutions, he will offer a critical reflection on the systemic and economic conditions that foster successful exit strategies, with a focus on regulated markets and risk dynamics.
Biagio Semilia - Founder of InnovationIsland.it and CEO Digitrend. Creator of the Innovazione Sicilia Prize, facilitator and promoter of innovation ecosystems, he will contribute to the dialogue with a systemic view on the interconnections between startups, finance, corporate and territories.
 
19.00Award Ceremony Final Pitch of the winning project
  
20.00/23.00Party end of event
 Aperitif of networking - DJ set

All participants in the contest, even those who joined with "in-person" mode, will be able to work outside the official program hours (Italian Time), continuing design and/or editing and development; in fact, the platform will be active from 10 a.m. on May 27, until 3 p.m. on May 29, 2025.

Timeline

Mark the dates and read the Hackathon rules for more details.

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Competition

The heart of the event will be competition between individuals or teams, who will compete in developing innovative solutions to real challenges, evaluated by a panel of expert judges

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WorkShop

Seminars and workshops will be organized, aimed at learning more about the challenges of innovation through direct discussion among experts, students and professionals in the field

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Networking

Dedicated networking moments designed to foster dialogue between students, professionals, institutions and businesses, creating opportunities for discussion and collaboration.

Our Mentors

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Georgia Fargetta

Georgia Fargetta is a Research Fellow (RTDa) in Computer Science at the University of Catania, where she collaborates with the IPLab research group. She received her MS degree in Mathematics in 2019 and her PhD in Computer Science in 2022 from the same university. His research interests include Computer Vision, Game Theory, Metaheuristics and Optimization Models.

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Salvatore Greco

Salvatore Greco has been a full professor since 2001 at the Department of Economics and Business, University of Catania. He conducts research in the field of multicriteria decision analysis. He is included in the top 2% ranking of the best researchers published by Stanford University.

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Lorenzo Catania

Research Fellow and Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Catania. He conducts research in Data Compression, Multimedia Systems and Interactive Applications.

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Luca Guarnera

Luca Guarnera has been a Research Fellow (RTDa) in Computer Science at the University of Catania since 2022. He received his PhD in 2021 and has been a member of the IPLab research group since 2015. His research interests include Computer Vision, Deep Learning and Multimedia Forensics, with a focus on the development of algorithms for the identification of deepfakes in images, video and audio.

Image Prof. Claudia Gatto

Claudia Gatto

PhD student at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Catania. With a degree in Management Engineering, I carry out research on the valorization of industrial waste from a circular perspective.

alt="photo professor Francesco Guarnera "

Francis Guarnera

Francesco Guarnera is a Researcher in Computer Science at the University of Catania. He received his PhD in 2022 and has been a member of the IPLab research group since 2018. He conducts research on topics regarding Computer Vision in forensics and medicine, on which he has published more than 20 scientific papers.

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Matthew Pennisi

Assistant Professor Pattern Recognition and Computer Vision Laboratory (PeRCeiVe Lab) Department of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering University of Catania

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Francis Columba

management engineer

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Massimo Orazio Spata

A researcher in Computer Science at the University of Catania, he gained more than 20 years of experience at STMicroelectronics, where he developed patented algorithms for scheduling, distributed systems and image processing applied to DNA analysis. An expert in AI and robotics, he collaborates with research organizations and teaches programming and mobile computing.

Andrea Vella

Chemical engineer with experience in water treatment, mathematical modeling, and environmental sustainability. I work on innovative projects to improve plant energy efficiency and support agencies and companies in the green transition.

Dalila Bonanno

chemical engineer currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering, Energetics, Computer Science and Telecommunications at the University of Catania in collaboration with Cisma Ambiente, Melilli; a company active in the treatment and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous special waste. The research activity concerns processes and methodologies for the treatment and valorization of industrial waste and scrap for circular business transition. In 2023 it was the winner of the "Giuseppe Turrisi (Sielte) Award" in the Smart City category, in which it carried out the project 'Sustainable management of volcanic ash'.

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Andrea Maugeri

Researcher in Medical Statistics at the University of Catania. After a PhD in Translational Biomedicine and a Master's degree in Epidemiology and Public Health, I am involved in the application of statistical and AI methodologies to the analysis of health and epidemiological data.

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Francesco Garraffo

Associate Professor of Economics and Business Management

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Simone Palazzo

Simone Palazzo is a researcher at the University of Catania and an expert in machine learning, artificial intelligence and computer vision. He has authored numerous scientific publications, regularly organizes events at international conferences, and is a coordinator and participant in national and international research projects.

alt="photo professor Faraci"

Rosario Faraci

Full Professor of Economics and Business Management

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Luigi Gurreri

environmental engineer

alt="photo professor Mario Pavone"

Mario Francesco Pavone

Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Catania, he works on metaheuristics and Machine Learning applied to optimization, computational biology and complex networks. He is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Swarm Intelligence, INTIS 2024 keynote speaker and co-director of the Complex Intelligent Systems group. Founder of the Metaheuristics Summer School (MESS).

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Raphael Mineo

Research Fellow at the PeRCeiVeLab of the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, conducts research in the field of Artificial Intelligence applied to medical and electronic contexts, through the development of AI-driven solutions for clinical diagnosis, predictive maintenance, and various applications.

Antonella Luciano

Senior Researcher ENEA, at the Department of Sustainability, Circularity and Adaptation to Climate Change of Production and Territorial Systems and the Joint Research Structure ENEA-University of Catania. Expert in circular economy, she deals with methodologies and tools for sustainability assessments, industrial symbiosis, efficient use of resources in production and territorial systems. Responsible for national and international research projects, she is sustainability advisor of the EEN network (Enterprise Europe Network) and coordinator of the National sustainability group.

alt="photo professor Schembra"

John Schembra

Full Professor of Telecommunications in the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania. Chairman of the Master's Degree Program in Communications Engineering at the University of Catania. Conducts research in the areas of telecommunications, 5G and 6G, and image processing from drones

Our Judges

alt="photo professor Giovanni Muscato "

John Muscato

Full Professor in the subject area of Automation, teaches Automatic Controls and Robotics at the University of Catania, and is Director of the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering. An expert in robotics and automatic controls, he has coordinated national and international projects and authored more than 300 publications.

alt="photo professor Giuseppe Inturri"

Giuseppe Inturri

A full professor of Transportation in the DIEEI Department of the University of Catania, he works on sustainable mobility and transportation planning. Delegate of the Rector for Mobility and Sustainability, he is author of more than 140 publications and promoter of award-winning projects such as free LPT for students and the Metro Shuttle. Deputy national coordinator of the Mobility Working Group for the Network of Italian Universities for Sustainable Development.

alt="photo professor Roberto Cellini"

Roberto Cellini

Director Department of Economics and Business - full professor of Political Economy

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Horace Muscato

Orazio Muscato is Full Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Catania and, since 2019, Director of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. He teaches undergraduate and master's degree courses in Mathematics and is a member of the doctoral college in Mathematics and Computational Sciences. He is a member of several national scientific societies in the field of applied mathematics.

alt="photo professor Sebastiano Battiato"

Sebastiano Battiato

Full Professor of Computer Science

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Concept Spampinato

Ordinary Professor of Information Processing Systems

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Salvatore Ingrassia

Ph.D. in "Applied Mathematics and Computer Science." Full Professor of Statistics since 2001, serving at the Department of Economics and Business, University of Catania. Author of more than 160 international and national scientific publications on the topics of statistical learning, model-based clustering, computational statistics and neural networks.

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Joseph Mancini

Professor of Chemical Plants (ING/IND25), President of the National Association of Environmental and Land Use Engineering, Director of the University Center for Management and Protection of Natural Environments and Agroecosystems

alt="photo Vincenzo Passanisi"

Vincenzo Passanisi

Director of Information Systems and Technological Innovation of the Municipality of Catania

alt="photo Lara Riguccio"

Lara Riguccio

Director of Environment, Ecology and Public Green - Municipality of Catania

In Collaboration with

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Metropolitan city of Catania

News

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Notice for participants

Dear participants,
In view of the numerous interest and requests received, in compliance with current regulations regarding the security of the Palace of Culture, the City of Catania informs that registrations for the event GreenMindAI Hackathon Catania, can only be made remotely from 15:45."
 
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Notice for participants

The organization reserves the right to reorganize the composition of the teams, in terms of number of participants, on the basis of the registrations received and in any case before the start of the competition, in order to guarantee a balanced development of the event.

For further information, please contact the teaching secretariat.

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"Communication for Schools and Institutes. 

Please note that the opportunity for teachers to register as tutors has been activated. All teachers interested in following and accompanying students in the activities planned for the GreenMindAI Catania Hackathon event can give their availability by filling out the appropriate registration form on the Hackathon website by May 152025.

For more information, you can contact the education secretary."

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Dear participants,
Given the numerous interest and requests received, we are pleased to announce that the registration deadline for the GreenMindAI Catania Hackathon has been extended!
📅 New registration deadline: May 15, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
We invite everyone who has not yet completed registration to take advantage of this opportunity and join us for a unique experience of innovation, collaboration and creativity.
Don't miss this additional opportunity to be part of the GreenMindAI Catania Hackathon! 
To sign up, visit the official website
Thank you for your enthusiasm and participation!
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Sponsor and Support the Winners of the GreenMindAI Catania Hackathon 

click here to learn how

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Become a GreenMindAI Catania Hackathon Partner.

click here to learn how

Do you have any questions or queries?
Send an email to the organizing secretariat

hackathonct@comune.catania.it