India–EU Ideathon on Marine Plastic Pollution Concludes with final ceremony and three Winners

The India–EU Ideathon on Combating Marine Plastic Pollution, organised under the India–EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Working Group 2 on Green and Clean Energy Technologies, concluded with a final ceremony at the BCKIC Foundation, KIIT DU, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Jointly organised by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India and the Delegation of the European Union to India, the Ideathon brought together experts from both regions. The programme also included an overview of scientific trends, emerging understanding and possible technological pathways to address marine plastic pollution from Indian and EU perspectives.

Achievements under EU-India the Trade and Technology Council

Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA commended the collective efforts of Indian and European institutions in nurturing early-stage innovations on marine plastic mitigation and stress how Ideathon had demonstrated how coordinated scientific cooperation between India and the European Union can generate impactful and scalable solutions.   Ms. Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission,  reaffirmed the EU and India’s  commitment to strengthening collaborative research under the TTC for the preservation of river and marine ecosystems as well as of human health.
Dr Rakesh Kaur (OPSA) stressed the importance of long-term scientific collaboration and community-oriented solutions.
In her closing remarks, Ms Nienke Buisman (European Commission) emphasised the high quality of the ideas presented and the contribution of the Ideathon to the India–EU partnership in green and clean technologies.

Winners of the Ideathon

There was strong engagement and participation from India and the European Union, as stressed by Dr. Hafsa Ahmad, Scientist ‘D’, OPSA. Participants engaged in activities, including matchmaking, design-thinking workshops, mentoring sessions and pitch training as Mr. Kinchit Bihani, Research & Innovation Adviser, Delegation of the EU to India outlined. 

The finalists worked on solutions across the three challenge areas of the Ideathon: 

• Challenge 1 identifying and tracking marine plastics,
• Challenge 2 developing effective and scalable technologies for the removal of marine plastics,
• Challenge 3 raising awareness and mobilising communities for the prevention of marine plastic pollution.

The top three winning teams- Ocean Resilience for Challenge 1, Nautilus Nexus for Challenge 2, and Trashtrek App for Challenge 3 each received a cash reward of EUR 5000.  They will also receive incubation support for further development and scale-up of their solutions.  

Certificates were awarded to all participants from the nine shortlisted finalist teams, namely- 

• Challenge 1 Finalists: (i) EcoWaves; (ii) AquaSentinel; (iii) Ocean Resilience India;
• Challenge 2 Finalists: (i) Nautilus Nexus; (ii) Poseidon; (iii) Blue Barrier;
• Challenge 3 Finalists: (i) TrashTrek App; (ii) Marine Guardians; and (iii) Sea Within.

Over fitty participants joined from across India and the European Union, representing officials, researchers, start-ups, industry stakeholders and civil society organisations.  

India-EU collaboration under TTC 

The Ideathon reaffirmed India’s and EU’s the shared commitment to advancing sustainable, innovative and community-centric technologies to combat marine plastic pollution. The TTC Working Group 2 will continue to take forward Indo-EU scientific collaboration in green and clean energy technologies by building upon the outcomes of the Ideathon and supporting future joint initiatives.

EU-India Trade and Technology Council

The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was first announced by the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in April 2022. Established on February 6, 2023, this strategic coordination mechanism allows both sides to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology, and security, and deepens cooperation in these fields.

The TTC consists of three Working Groups:

1. Working Group 1 on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Digital Connectivity
2. Working Group 2 on Green and Clean Energy Technologies
3. Working Group 3 on Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains

Working Groups are now jointly working to advance identified objectives and key actions. 

More information

Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

International cooperation with India