EnCLOD Open Data Hackathon Debrecen 2026
Improve Public Transport in Debrecen
May 20 – 21, 2026
Organized by DKV Debreceni Közlekedési Zrt, and the Innovation Ecosystem Center of the University of Debrecen. A two-day hackathon focused on original, data-driven ideas aimed at improving public transport and urban mobility in the city of Debrecen.
Venue: UD Innovation Center, Vezér Street 37, Debrecen (https://maps.app.goo.gl/RAtDw4ynypTkWWDg8)
Registration deadline: 15th May, 12.00 pm
About the Hackathon
EnCLOD Open Data hackathon is an intensive 36-hour creative event that connects data, technology, and creativity to design innovative solutions for improving public transport services, accessibility, and sustainable mobility in Debrecen.
Participants will have the opportunity to work in teams (2-4 members/team), with support from mentors and experts, and use open transport data and data from sensor networks made available through the EnCLOD project. Based on these, participants will design and develop solutions addressing real urban challenges in areas such as public transport, urban mobility, public space, and sustainability.
The goal of the hackathon is to help participants move their ideas from concept to a concrete output—whether in the form of analysis, visualization, maps, tool prototypes, or applications. For more complex solutions, a well-thought-out concept or pilot version demonstrating future potential is also welcome.
The hackathon is open to a wide range of participants—from developers and data analysts to students, researchers, urban planners, designers, and smart city enthusiasts. Emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary collaboration, enabling not only technical solutions but also conceptual proposals, methodologies, analytical insights, and recommendations for the further development of data-driven transport policy in Debrecen.
Event Flow:
At the beginning, participants will be introduced to the rules, available data sets, and thematic challenges. They will then begin developing their ideas in teams, with ongoing support from experienced mentors.
Mentors will be available throughout the hackathon to assist with data work, problem formulation, technical solutions, and interpretation of results. The program will also include expert talks and workshops to provide context and inspiration.
During the 36 hours, teams will prepare their projects into clear and presentable outputs. At the end, they will present their solutions to an expert jury, which will evaluate their value, quality, and potential for real-world use.
Hackathon Goals
- Promote the use of public transport and improve the mobility of the city with the help of Open Data.
- Identify problematic locations and traffic situations through data analysis, visualization, and experimental tools
- Support data-driven decision-making in municipal planning and prioritization
- Test usability and practical value of available data for different stakeholders (city, police, public)
- Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration combining technical, analytical, social, and design approaches
- Foster innovation, creativity, and experimentation in smart mobility and traffic flow
- Create collaboration between university, city, experts, and students beyond the event
- Strengthen participants’ skills in data, open technologies, and solving complex urban problems
Application
You can submit your application here.
The hackathon is open to teams of 2-4 people (each team member must register!).
Registration deadline: 15th May, 12.00 pm
Challenges
1. Industrial Park Challenge - Industrial Park Mobility Optimization
Debrecen is a fast-developing city due to significant industry players (BMW, CATL, …etc.). The Debrecen industry zones will attract more and more car traffic which negatively influences the traffic flow in the city, increasing traffic queues, worsening air pollution and traffic safety at all. DKV is looking for a solution that enables better planning and decision making for investments in public transport services related to the industry zones mobility.
- The aim of this challenge is to explore the relationship between vehicle traffic heading to industrial parks and the utilization of public transport serving those areas.
- Available data include:
- vehicle traffic measurements on roads entering and leaving the parks,
- aggregated statistics from nearby bus stops,
- workforce size data.
- Using these datasets, participants can analyze:
- the occupancy of bus stops within or near industrial parks,
- the development of bus services and passenger flows.
- By comparing these data sources, examine how the proportion of road traffic and bus usage changes relative to each other.
- Based on the analysis, participants should propose development directions, such as:
- better alignment of public transport schedules with working hours,
- optimizing service frequency,
- improving the placement of stops,
- and generally investigating how public transport can become a more attractive alternative to private car use in industrial park areas.
2. Bus Stop Challenge - Smart Public Transport Stop Index
To compete with car traffic the public transport should provide attractive services, starting with more comfortable stops. DKV is looking for a strategy with new ideas and concepts that would improve the existing bus stops comfort and services to passengers as well as residents, and for a digital tool to improve planning and management of the stops.
- The goal of this challenge is to assess how well the existing stops in the city (bus, trolleybus, tram, local and regional) meet passengers’ comfort, safety, and accessibility needs.
- Examine:
- how exposed passengers are to weather conditions,
- whether stops provide adequate protection against extreme weather conditions linked to climate change,
- the condition and design of the platforms passengers step onto,
- and how usable the stops are for people with reduced mobility or elderly passengers.
- Assess the facilities available at stops, including:
- the quality of passenger information systems,
- the placement and readability of timetables,
- and how clear the information is for waiting passengers.
- Map the environment surrounding the stops, considering:
- what other modes of transport are accessible nearby,
- how orderly and safe the surrounding area is,
- and how well the stop integrates with the surrounding infrastructure.
- Develop an evaluation framework that captures the key attributes of stops.
This framework could form the basis of a comprehensive database, which could later be integrated into a web or mobile application. - For the solution, the following data are available:
- monthly aggregated statistics for stops (e.g., occupancy and passenger volumes),
- air quality data,
- meteorological data.
- By comparing these datasets with the qualitative characteristics of stops, participants can prioritize interventions and determine which stop improvements would have the greatest impact on passenger experience and the attractiveness of public transport.
3. Traffic Engineering Challenge - Smarter Traffic for Faster Transit
Public transport is an efficient mobility service for a sustainable growth of a city. To provide a competitive service to cars PT should be seamless, quick, frequent, with adequate capacity, simply more attractive. DKV is looking for traffic engineering interventions that would provide advantages against car traffic.
- The objective of this challenge is to present and analyze traffic engineering interventions, using specific examples from Debrecen, that prioritize public transport over private car traffic.
- These may include measures such as:
- bus or tram lanes,
- traffic signal priority,
- special stop designs,
- or intersection solutions that reduce travel time for public transport vehicles and increase their operational speed.
- Stop statistics reveal passenger volumes and areas of concentrated usage. Participants should map:
- how many routes serve a given stop,
- how many directions passengers can travel from there,
- and how important the stop is as a transport node within the network.
- By incorporating car traffic data, compare the load and functioning of public transport and private vehicle traffic.
- Propose which road sections and by what methods public transport vehicles should be given priority.
Mentors
Experienced mentors from various fields will help develop your ideas.
Prizes
A total of €1.500 will be given away between the best solutions.
Campus Festival tickets
Agora Science Center prize: Participate free of charge in the English-language program series Science Stories and Conversations
Program - hackathon schedule
