Final Call – AI Competition – Submit your Project by 21 July 2025!

Call for Applications

European Universities Competition on Artificial Intelligence to Promote Sustainable Development and Address Climate Change

© AdobeStock KI

Access the AI Competition page for more details

Are you an undergraduate, master’s, or PhD student passionate about Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Development and Climate Change? Do you want to showcase your ideas and solutions for a sustainable future? The European Universities Competition on Artificial Intelligence to Promote Sustainable Development and Address Climate Change is calling young minds from Europe to participate in this prestigious competition and contribute to shaping a more sustainable world.

Background

European universities are well placed to drive initiatives to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle the dual crises of unsustainable development and climate change. As hubs of innovation and knowledge, they are uniquely positioned to develop AI-driven solutions that align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and combat climate change and its related challenges. By integrating AI into research and education, universities can foster interdisciplinary collaboration and create scalable technologies.

In this context, students – as future leaders – should play an active role, especially in developing and designing new AI tools to drive sustainable transformation. Engaging students in AI for sustainability and climate change may not only help address urgent global issues. Still, it may also help to position Europe as a pioneer in ethical, impactful AI innovation, ensuring a greener, more equitable future for all.

Against this background, and as part of the Research Programme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development and Climate Change” (HAISDCC), the Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management” of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences is organising the “European Universities Competition on Artificial Intelligence to Promote Sustainable Development and Address Climate Change”.

Objectives

The competition aims to:

• i. Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among students, researchers, and faculty across European universities.
• ii. Promote the development of AI-driven solutions that contribute to the SDGs
• iii. Highlight the role of AI in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Structure

The competition will feature two distinct categories, each with its own focus and prizes:

Category 1: AI for Sustainable Development Projects

This category welcomes AI-driven innovations that contribute to achieving one or more of the SDGs. Solutions should leverage AI to address global challenges and foster sustainability in various domains. Key fields include:

• Responsible Consumption & Production: AI-driven solutions for waste reduction, circular economy, supply chain optimisation, and sustainable agriculture.
• Poverty Alleviation & Economic Inclusion: AI applications for financial inclusion, equitable access to services, and economic empowerment of marginalised communities.
• Quality Education & Lifelong Learning: AI-driven educational platforms and intelligent tutoring systems for inclusive education.
• Sustainable Cities & Communities: AI solutions for smart urban planning, traffic optimisation, air quality monitoring, and sustainable infrastructure.
• Health & Well-being: AI-powered tools for public health monitoring, disease prevention, telemedicine, and access to essential healthcare services.
• Water and Sanitation Management: AI models for water purification, distribution efficiency, and pollution detection.

Category 2: AI and Climate Change Solutions

This category focuses on AI applications that tackle climate change by supporting mitigation, adaptation, and environmental conservation efforts. Innovations should leverage AI to monitor, predict, and combat climate-related challenges. Key fields include:

• Carbon Footprint Reduction: AI for industry energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and carbon capture technologies.
• Climate Modeling & Risk Prediction: AI-driven climate change impact analysis simulations, extreme weather forecasting, and long-term environmental trends.
• Renewable Energy Optimisation: AI for smart grid management, solar and wind energy prediction, and energy storage efficiency.
• Disaster Preparedness & Response: AI applications for early warning systems, real-time disaster tracking, and emergency response coordination.
• Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation: AI for wildlife tracking, deforestation monitoring, ocean health assessment, and ecosystem restoration.
• Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security: AI in precision farming, water-efficient irrigation, and crop yield prediction in response to climate change

Who Can Apply?

We welcome applications from undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students currently enrolled at universities in Europe who are passionate about using AI to solve sustainability and climate problems.

Students from diverse academic backgrounds are encouraged to participate, including but not limited to:

• Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence
• Environmental Sciences & Sustainability
• Engineering & Technology
• Economics, Business & Policy Studies
• Health & Life Sciences
• Social Sciences & Humanities
• Education & Learning Technologies
• Mathematics & Statistics

Why participate?

• Gain Recognition: Present your work to an international audience of experts, policymakers, and industry leaders.
• Win Prizes: Top submissions will receive awards, certificates, and potential funding opportunities.
• Expand Your Network: Connect with like-minded peers, academics, and professionals.
• Get Mentorship: Benefit from expert guidance to further refine and develop your ideas.

Application and selection process
Participation is free of charge.

Applicants: undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students currently enrolled at European universities.

Number of applicants per project: Both individual and group applications are allowed.

• Individual applications: Solo participants can submit their projects independently.
• Group applications: Teams of up to 3 authors can collaborate on a single project submission.

We encourage multidisciplinary teams, bringing together diverse expertise to develop innovative AI-driven sustainability and climate resilience solutions.

Project: Participants must submit a project proposal, research paper, or innovative solution that:

• addresses one of the competition themes: AI for Sustainable Development Projects or AI and Climate Change Solutions
• follows the established evaluation criteria
• has a maximum of 3,000 words (excluding references)
• Uses the official template (available here)

Submissions should present well-structured, original, and impactful AI-driven solutions contributing to sustainability and/or climate resilience.

Deadline: Applicants should submit their projects until the 21st of July 2025 at 17:00 CET via e-mail address: AI.competition (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de 

Dates

• Launch: Announcement and call for submissions (20th March 2025)
• Submission deadline for project proposals (21st July 2025)
• Shortlisting: Top 10 projects in each category announced (15th October 2025)
• Final Pitch Event: Shortlisted teams present to a panel of judges (24th November 2025)
• Awards Ceremony: Winners announced at the European Symposium on AI for Sustainability and Cimate Change (15th January 2026)

Selection process: A panel of experts will review applications based on the established criteria presented below.

Selection criteria:

• a) Research problem: Clarity, significance, and alignment to sustainability (Category 1) and climate change (Category 2)
• b) Content relevance and accuracy: Accuracy of information, alignment with objectives, and correctness of supporting data/details
• c) Organisation, clarity and visual appeal: Logical structure, ease of follow, and effective use of visuals/graphics to convey information
• d) Methodology: Appropriateness, depth, and rigor of the methods or processes used (design, data collection, analysis, etc.)
• e) Novelty and creativity: Origininality, innovative ideas, and creative approach to addressing the research question or problem
• f) Impact and practical significance: Potential real-world relevance, sustainability, and broader benefits or applications

Prizes: Three prizes will be provided for each category, or six prizes in total. They entail:

• €2,000 grand prize for the three winning projects in each category
• Access to mentorship opportunities with leading AI and sustainability experts
• Showcase at the European Symposium on AI for Sustainability and Climate Change to be organised in Hamburg.
• Links with potential investors for advice on funding support for project implementation

Notification: All finalists and winners will be notified by e-mail after the judging. If you receive a notification e-mail from the organisation, you must respond to the notification e-mail to accept your shortlisting. If the organisation does not receive your response within seven (7) days of the notification, it reserves the right to reallocate the prize to another Applicant.

Final Presentation: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their work at the European Symposium on AI for Sustainability and Cimate Change on the 15th of January, 2026.

Partnerships
The following institutions are partners of the European Universities Competition on Artificial Intelligence to Promote Sustainable Development and Address Climate Change: 
 
UPC Barcelona Tech
University of the Aegean
Wirtschafts Hochschule Mainz
Liverpool John Moores University
Universidade Aberta
University of Zurich
University of Latvia
The Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of Serbia
Institute for Ethics in AI (IEAI), Technical University of Munich
Lisbon School of Architecture of the University of Lisbon
Vasile Alecsandri Universitiy of Bacau
Unit for Innovation and Research in Engineering (UnIRE)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Eligibility

• a) Applicants can only submit original works for which they are the sole creators and copyright holders. If a group of authors is involved, the names of all authors must be listed. This will be considered a single application for prizes and benefits under the copyright rules described below.
• b) Applicants must describe in the submitted research proposals the research activities that are feasible, possible to achieve, and sustainable.
• c) Applicants can only indicate their team members at the first-time submission; members can’t be added after submission.
• d) Applications that lack personal information, including names, emails, and the number of team members, may be disqualified.
• e) Lacking information in applications means that they are subject to disqualification.
• f) Any missing answers will lead to disqualification.
• g) The reviewers will not examine projects exceeding the number of words specified.

Copyright and moral rights
By submitting works to the organisation, you confirm that:

• a) You are the author of the project, and it is your original work, and to the best of your
• knowledge, no third party can claim any rights to the material submitted.
• b) You are the copyright holder
• c) In its sole discretion, the organisation reserves the right to disqualify any incomplete application that is irrelevant to the theme or does not comply with any of the terms and conditions or the organisation’s values and guiding principles.

Miscellaneous

• a) The organisation reserves the right to cancel, modify, suspend, or delay the competition due to unforeseen circumstances beyond its control.
• b) The organisation reserves the right to change, amend, delete or add to these terms and conditions at any time.
• c) The organisation shall not be responsible or liable for: any problem, loss or damage, misdirected or illegible entries, delay or failure in receiving and sending the entry because of any network, communication or system interruption or error, or any error, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, site failure or unauthorised access to entries.
• d) By participating in the competition, applicatns agree that personal data, especially name and country, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the competition, institutional activities, and any other purposes outlined in these terms and conditions. The organisation may also use the data to verify the applicant’s identity, postal address, and contact details or determine their eligibility to participate in the competition.
• e) By applying, the applicant confirms that the terms and conditions for this competition, as set out above, have been read, understood, and agreed to by the applicant.

Contact us for inquiries, please email us at: AI.competition (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de