On 24 and 25 March 2025, Madrid became the stage for a high-intensity coding marathon as Engage 2 brought together some of the brightest young minds in European aviation and data science for its first-ever hackathon. Hosted and organized by Innaxis, partner of Engage 2, the event challenged participants to develop innovative solutions to a complex problem in ATM. Watch the video below to see what happened, and keep reading to find out who the winners are!

In 24 hours the teams were capable of developing reliable models to solve a traditional problem for air traffic controllers at airports: predicting time to threshold of arriving aircraft. For the challenge, DataBeacon provided over 30GB of highly curated runway operations data collected near Madrid airport. Participants recognized the importance and relevance of data preparation and highlighted the motivation of working with real data in a real-world problem.

36 participants, divided into 11 teams, worked tirelessly in a two-day sprint of coding, strategy, and problem-solving. Each team tackled the challenge with their own innovative approach, pushing boundaries in technology and collaboration. The atmosphere was intense, fueled by creativity, teamwork, and a shared passion for innovation. Mentors and evaluators from DataBeacon, Frequentis and ARC were there to solve participants’ questions and guide them to reach the prizes, co-sponsored by SESAR and CANSO.

Paula López-Catalá, programme Director at Innaxis, shares her perspective. We are proud to have successfully organized this data hackathon, surpassing even our own expectations. Innaxis put a great effort into every detail, working proactively to ensure an outstanding result. We extend our gratitude to the sponsors, mentors, and evaluators who made this event possible, helping bridge the gap between emerging talent and industry professionals. For over 15 years, Innaxis has been at the forefront of promoting data-driven techniques in aviation, and this event represents yet another milestone in our journey. Attracting new talent is essential if we truly want the future of aviation to be digital, and this hackathon has been an excellent opportunity to foster that connection.

And the winners are…

After two days of intense competition, Los Modelos, a team of four students from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, emerged victorious. Their innovative solution secured them the first prize, which included an all-expenses-paid trip to Airspace World 2025 in Lisbon, along with exclusive opportunities, such as a breakfast with industry CEOs and the chance to take the stage at Tomorrow’s Voices.

In a tight race for second place, the jury awarded a tie between FourOFour from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Runway Prophets from Delft University of Technology. Both runner-up teams received €500 in vouchers for online training platforms or other educational resources of their choice.

With fresh perspectives and bold ideas, the Engage 2 Hackathon proved that young talent is key to shaping the future of aviation. As the industry moves forward, initiatives like this ensure that the next generation is equipped to lead innovation in ATM.