Registration is officially open for the second Engage 2 Hackathon, taking place from 20 to 21 October 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia. Organised with the SESAR project AWARE, this intensive 24-hour competition challenges the next generation of aviation talent to solve a real-world predictive ATM task using exclusive datasets.
The registration deadline is 7 September 2026 at 11:59pm CET. All detailed guidelines, eligibility criteria, and the official registration form are hosted on our Wiki.
Before applying, please read all provided information carefully before registering. By enrolling in the competition, all participants officially accept and agree to abide by the full Terms & Conditions. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible teams.
The challenge: teams of 2 to 4 individuals will have exactly 24 hours to develop and submit an innovative digital solution.
Eligibility: open to all nationalities. Participants must be 18 or older and have fewer than five years of professional work experience.
Hospitality: one night’s accommodation at the iNova Hotel in Zagreb and scheduled meals are fully covered by the organisers. Participants must arrange their own travel.
The Grand Prize: the winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Airspace World 2027 in Lisbon, Portugal, alongside exclusive industry networking opportunities.
As the SESAR 3 Knowledge Transfer Network, Engage 2 remains committed to driving excellence in ATM research. We are pleased to outline our strategic calendar for 2026, featuring a series of high-level events designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, support the next generation of aviation professionals, and foster technical innovation across Europe.
Advancing transport research: TRA2026
The spring season will commence in Lisbon at the Transport Research Arena (TRA2026), taking place from 18 to 21 April 2026. As a cornerstone of European transport dialogue, TRA2026 provides an essential platform for Engage 2 to contribute to discussions on the digitalisation and decarbonisation of the aviation sector. We invite stakeholders to join us in exploring how our network’s research outputs are shaping the future of European mobility.
Local engagement: Belgrade Open Day
On 22 and 23 April 2026, Engage 2 will host an Open Day in Belgrade. This event is specifically designed to bridge the gap between education and industry, offering high school and university students a unique window into the future of aviation and ATM professions. Through interactive sessions and expert guidance, we aim to showcase the evolving career paths that will define the sector in the decades to come. Specific venue details and the full agenda will be published shortly.
Empowering the next generation at Airspace World 2026
From 26 to 28 May 2026, our focus shifts to Lisbon for Airspace World. We are happy to confirm the return of Tomorrow’s Voices, the programme dedicated to young professionals and students. Central to this initiative will be a new series of Inspirational Tours, offering participants curated access to industry pioneers and cutting-edge technologies. This programme remains a vital link between academic study and professional career paths in ATM.
Collaborative innovation: Hackathon #2 in Zagreb
In the final quarter of the year, Engage 2 will lead a technical Hackathon in Zagreb on 20 and 21 October 2026. This is a joint event organised in collaboration with the DIALOG and AWARE projects. By pooling expertise across different SESAR initiatives, the hackathon aims to solve complex operational problems through rapid prototyping and collaborative coding. It represents a unique opportunity for data scientists and ATM experts to work at the intersection of various research domains.
We are proud to o announce that the second call for the Engage 2 Catalyst Fund, which closed on 2nd February 2026, has received an extraordinary response. A total of 27 applications were submitted, a remarkable figure that highlights the incredible innovation and potential within our research community.
This high volume of proposals demonstrates the need for initiatives like the Catalyst Fund in driving the future of aviation. We are now entering the evaluation phase, where our Awards Board will assess each submission against rigorous standards of excellence. We want to thank all the consortia who submitted their visions for the future of ATM. The sheer quality and quantity of applications reinforce our commitment to supporting the next generation of aerospace research.
To ensure a fair and high-quality selection, all proposals will be evaluated based on four key criteria. For a proposal to remain eligible, it must meet a minimum threshold of 7/10 in every category. The final ranking will be determined by applying specific weightings to these scores:
Impact: explicitly defined impact on, and relevance to, ATM (including U-space/UAS). Threshold: 7/10 – Weighting: 30%
Innovation: contribution to advancing the state of the art, maturing TRLs, or improving concept application. Threshold: 7/10 – Weighting: 25%
Quality: strength of the research plan, success measures, and the consortium’s relevant experience. Threshold: 7/10 – Weighting: 25%
Integration: meaningful consultation and engagement with industry members (excluding academia). Threshold: 7/10 – Weighting: 20%
How the projects will be selected
Once the eligible proposals are ranked, the Awards Board will follow a structured funding allocation:
Thematic priority. Initially, provided they fall within the top 75th percentile, funding will be awarded to two proposals for each of Thematic Challenges 1 and 2, and one proposal for each of Thematic Challenges 3 and 4.
Open ranking. The remaining proposals (including “open” topics) will be funded strictly by their rank order.
Final decisions. In the event of a tie, the Board will vote, with the Chair holding the casting vote.
The Engage 2 consortium made a significant impact at the 2025 SESAR Innovation Days (SIDs), held from 1-4 December in Lake Bled, Slovenia. As the flagship event for Europe’s ATM research community, this year’s conference highlighted collaboration as the “secret sauce” behind ATM transformation, a theme that resonates deeply with Engage 2’s mission to bridge the gap between academia and the aviation industry.
Championing young talents
Since 2023, Engage 2 has been dedicated to cultivating young talent in the ATM domain and this commitment was on full display in Bled. The project supported the attendance of three of its seven funded PhD candidates, along with an MSc student who has successfully navigated the sector with the guidance of Engage 2 mentors.
Their presence demonstrated to the wider SESAR community the consortium’s proactive approach to creating opportunities for early-career researchers. By facilitating these connections, Engage 2 continues to foster links between the next generation of innovators and the established aviation industry.
Leadership in technical sessions and expanding the knowledge hub
Beyond supporting students, Engage 2 partners played a central role in the event’s technical programme. Many partners served as moderators for various technical sessions throughout the convention, underscoring the high profile and expertise of the network’s researchers within the European ATM landscape.
During the plenary session, the Engage 2 Coordinator took the stage to highlight the project’s tangible achievements. Key milestones presented included the seven funded PhDs and the series of successful joint events organised across different projects, as well as the continuous popularity of the Wiki, the platform that will host the technical papers from this year’s SIDs edition, alongside archives from previous years. This initiative reinforces the Wiki’s status as a central repository for ATM knowledge, ensuring that the research shared at Lake Bled remains accessible to the community.
Advancing AI in ATM: joint dissemination event
Following the main conference, Slovenian week ended on December 5th with a joint final dissemination event titled “AI-based innovation in ATM: enhancing efficiency, trust and safety.”This event focused on the final results and achievements of four SESAR-supported exploratory research projects (TRUSTY, ASTRA, SynthAIr and CODA-ATC). Bringing together a total of 63 participants (21 onsite and 42 joining online), the session provided a platform to showcase innovations aimed at improving the European ATM network. Attendees engaged directly with project teams to learn about tested AI-based solutions, specifically in enhancing air traffic control efficiency; building operator trust in autonomous and AI-driven systems; ensuring the highest standards of safety in a digitalised airspace.
About SESAR Innovation Days
Hosted by Pipistrel and the University of Ljubljana, the 2025 SESAR Innovation Days brought together 450 leading researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to discuss the future of the Digital European Sky. For more information on the event and its outcomes, visit the SESAR Joint Undertaking news page.
We are excited to introduce the testing version of the Engage 2 Ma tchmaking App, a dedicated community designed for everyone who wants to explore and learn about the aviation world. Whether you are a student, an enthusiast, or a professional, this platform offers a focused environment where information is clear and networking feels purposeful.
The app brings together tools to help you connect and explore. It allows you to discover aviation-focused content and connect with others through interest-based matches.
Any feedback? Fill this form and tell us about your experience!
What you can do
Connect through Matches: Find people with similar aviation interests or goals and start meaningful conversations.
Explore Companies & Universities: Access official profiles to discover industry insights, view academic programs, and connect with verified representatives.
See Relevant Content: Filter your feed to see posts connected specifically to your focus areas.
Collaborate & Grow: Share experiences, ask questions, and engage with a community built around aviation knowledge.
Whether you are preparing for a career, exploring study options, or expanding your network, this platform helps you stay connected to the heart of aviation.
We are pleased to invite the SESAR community to Athens for a two-day event dedicated to transforming airport operations and enhancing multimodal transport connectivity. Co-organized by Engage 2, FASTNet, JARVIS and AIA – Athens International Airport, which hosts the event celebrating its 25th anniversary, this event will bring together industry experts and SESAR projects to share insights on the “Digital European Sky” vision.
Day 1: Workshop on Thematic Challenge #2. The first day is dedicated to a deep dive into Thematic Challenge #2: Passenger-centric digital airport. Discussions will revolve around the concept of the data-centric airport, specifically analyzing passenger dynamics and movements within airport premises, and the implementation of virtual queuing systems.
Participants will engage in round-table discussions covering three critical clusters:
Passenger Experience
Operator Experience
Environmental Impact
Day 2: FASTNet Demo & Airport Visit. The second day offers a practical look at emerging solutions. Attendees will witness the FASTNet project demonstration, featuring operational concepts and validation results (Solutions 0346 & 0347). The event will conclude with an exclusive visit to the Athens International Airport, providing a real-world backdrop to our discussions on multimodal integration.
Engage 2 was proud to participate in the successful Aviation 4 Girls (A4G) 2025 event, hosted at EUROCONTROL HQ on November 10, 2025.
The event welcomed nearly 200 young participants from over 20 nationalitieson-site, with an additional 400+ livestream viewers joining remotely. Through captivating stories, live demonstrations and hands-on workshops, participants discovered the magic and limitless possibilities within aviation. The feedback from the attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with many leaving inspired to pursue careers in the industry, a testament to the impact of all the partners involved.
Highlighting future careers and innovation
In collaboration with AviAll – Aviation for All, Engage 2 played a role in showcasing the diverse career paths within ATM and the broader aviation ecosystem. We presented our Job Cards, offering the young audience a tangible look at the wide variety of roles available, helping to break down stereotypes and make the sector more accessible. Furthermore, attendees were given an exclusive first look at the matchmaking app, currently under development. This innovative tool is designed to help connect talent with opportunities, ensuring the next generation of professionals can easily find their place and thrive in the industry. The participation of Engage 2 and AviAll underscores a shared commitment to fostering a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce that will shape the future of aviation.
The Engage 2 project successfully showcased its efforts in shaping the future of the aviation workforce during the recent EASN International Conference. The project’s participation reinforced its commitment to bridging the gap between academic training and industry requirements through strategic initiatives and collaborative partner efforts.
A key highlight of Engage 2’s presence at the conference was the dedicated presentation of its innovative Job Cards and interactive videos. These resources, which are crucial for defining and communicating the skills needed in the modern aviation sector, were presented thanks to the invaluable support of the SESAR organisation. The Job Cards generated lots of interest, demonstrating a clear demand for structured educational and career development tools within the European aerospace research community.
The second Engage 2 Open day
Beyond the main conference activities, the project partner EASN played an important role in promoting young talent engagement. EASN organised the Second Open Day as part of the Students & Young Researchers Networking Event: Shaping the future workforce of the Aviation Sector. This dedicated networking event provided a dynamic platform for more than 130 participants, including students and young professionals, to connect with leading researchers and industry experts.
The fire-side chat event was orchestrated by Dimitri Mavris and Prajwal Shiva Prakasha, who commenced the event with an inspiring talk on “Navigating a Sky of Opportunities: The Career Journey in Aerospace Real experiences. Real challenges. Real inspiration.” The event, which took place at the glamorous Domo of the Universidad Politécnica De Madrid, and was followed by a networking session with several elite senior professionals in the aerospace sector, who initiated interactive discussions and mentorship opportunities on career options and opportunities. Marcello Kivel Mazuy, representing SESAR JU, specifically acted as a mentor for Engage 2 Open Day during this event, actively engaging with the participating audience, and guiding the young researchers on the pathways that can help in career enhancement within the ATM sector.
The Open Day event is central to Engage 2’s dissemination strategy, directly fostering the next generation of aviation specialists.
The success of the Open Day was warmly received by the attendees. Reflecting on the event’s importance, Marcello Kivel Mazuy – RTD and Innovation Manager at SESAR – stated: It was an honour and a burden for me! Guiding and mentoring the next generation of aeronautic experts was a great challenge because we will rely on their passion and work. This is what I told to all… be yourself, enjoy your work, and live with passion each single day! This is what will really change our lives! Your energy and engagement! I will always be your best fan! Enjoy the future, it’s yours!
The comprehensive participation in the EASN International Conference marked a significant milestone for the Engage 2 project, strengthening its outreach and underscoring the critical role it plays in advancing aviation skills and competence across Europe.
Engage 2 will launch its second call for Catalyst Fund Projects at the upcoming SESAR Innovation Days 2025. The Catalyst Funds are designed to rapidly mature exploratory research, bridging the gap between innovative concepts and industrial application within ATM. Following the success of the first call, which funded seven ambitious projects, this second wave of funding will continue to support focused projects that align with the programme’s key thematic challenges, as well as open, innovative proposals.
More detailed information, including the official call text, application guidelines, and thematic priorities, will be published shortly on the dedicated Engage 2 Wiki where you can alsoexplore descriptions of all past Catalyst Projects.
The call will provide financial support and access to industrial collaboration environments, thereby accelerating the development of promising ideas toward higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Projects are expected to demonstrate an original contribution to the state of the art, addressing critical challenges such as climate impact mitigation, disruptive ATM system modernisation, and the integration of new entrants.
To ensure you do not miss the call opening and receive the latest updates, follow Engage 2 on LinkedIn and subscribe to our official newsletter.
Engage 2 took an active role at Airspace World 2025, held in Lisbon by contributing to the second edition of Tomorrow’s Voices, an initiative led by CANSO in collaboration with Engage 2 and Firstfruits Services. The programme is designed to bring young professionals aged 20 to 30 closer to the world of Air Traffic Management (ATM), offering them direct exposure to the sector, opportunities for dialogue with industry representatives and insights into the future of airspace management.
Thematic workshop. The future workforce in the Era of new entrants
A central moment of Engage 2’s participation was the first thematic workshop titled The Future Workforce in the Era of New Entrants. The discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities related to the integration of new airspace users, such as drones and advanced air mobility solutions, into the ATM ecosystem. The workshop highlighted the growing need for new interdisciplinary roles, such as architects specialised in urban drone operations and urban planners familiar with U-space design. Participants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds engaged in open discussions, with younger attendees in particular pointing out a disconnect between academic training and practical industry needs. Many expressed the need for more hands-on learning and support in navigating the technical language commonly used in aviation.
Panel discussion: exploring career pathways in the evolving aerospace industry
The following day, on 15 May, Engage 2 contributed to the panel Exploring Career Pathways in the Evolving Aerospace Industry”, moderated by Micol Biscotto (Deep Blue, coordinator of the project). The panel brought together experts from leading organisations across the aviation and aerospace sectors – George Vergara (RTX), Snežana Tomčić (AviAll – Aviation for All), Nicola Ni Riada (IFATCA), Romulo Gallegos (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), Sabina Zaharescu (CINEA) and Sue Meeks (Infina, Ltd) – who explored the skills required for the future, emerging roles and how to build a meaningful career in a rapidly evolving landscape. One key insight that emerged was the demographic shift currently underway: with a significant portion of the ATM workforce approaching retirement, the sector is at risk of losing valuable mentorship capacity. In this context, Engage 2’s mission to connect junior and senior professionals becomes even more vital, helping ensure that knowledge and experience continue to be passed on to the next generation.
Inspirational Tours: a guided journey through the aviation professions
Among the most engaging activities of the event were the Inspirational Tours, a new format developed by Engage 2 to guide young participants through thematic routes across selected exhibitor stands. Each tour focused on key professional profiles in aviation, including air traffic controllers, AI engineers, cybersecurity experts and U-space service providers. The tours offered an accessible and tangible introduction to both traditional and emerging roles within the sector, with particular attention to future-focused domains such as drone integration and advanced air mobility. Accompanied by a dedicated Career Passport, participants were invited to collect stamps at each stop and take part in short, structured conversations with industry experts. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, and plans are already in motion to refine and expand the format for upcoming editions.
Engage 2’s presence at Airspace World 2025 reaffirms its commitment to supporting the future of aviation by facilitating meaningful connections, inspiring curiosity and bridging the gap between today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders in airspace innovation.
