Society from Space Challenge 2026

Society from Space Challenge 2026 is a two-day, application-based hackathon that brings together Earth Observation, data science, social sciences, humanities, planning, and practice to address real-world challenges.

Satellite data can show us where vegetation, heat, moisture, buildings, and environmental risks are located. But satellite pixels alone cannot explain how people experience those places, who benefits, who is exposed, or what kinds of interventions are meaningful on the ground.

This challenge is designed to bridge that gap. Participants will work in curated interdisciplinary teams to turn geospatial data into human-centred insights, maps, dashboards, and decision-support ideas for urban wellbeing, climate adaptation, and more equitable planning.

The event includes two confirmed challenge tracks: one local track focused on urban green value in Scania, Sweden, and one international track focused on environmental risk and opportunity in Nairobi, Kenya. An additional track may be announced later.

The Challenge Tracks

Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams on one of the available challenge tracks. Each track focuses on a different urban context, but both ask the same broader question: how can Earth Observation and social interpretation be combined to create useful insights for real-world urban challenges?

The tracks are designed to be open-ended. Teams will receive a challenge framing, access to relevant data, and support from mentors, but they are not expected to follow a single predefined method. Instead, each team will define its own problem focus, choose appropriate data and methods, and develop a practical output such as a map, dashboard, index, story map, policy concept, or spatial decision-support prototype.

Two challenge tracks are currently confirmed. An additional track may be announced later.

Local Challenge: Green Value and Care from Space

Scania, Sweden

A green pixel is not automatically a valuable place.

Urban vegetation can cool streets, support biodiversity, reduce flood risk, improve air quality, create meeting places, support mental health, and strengthen everyday wellbeing. But vegetation seen from above does not always translate into public value on the ground. Some green spaces are accessible, cared for, used, and meaningful. Others may be fragmented, difficult to reach, poorly maintained, socially invisible, or disconnected from everyday life.

This track investigates how and when urban vegetation becomes genuine public value. Focusing on case areas in Lund, teams will explore how Earth Observation and geospatial data can help identify where urban greenery supports daily wellbeing, where green spaces are under pressure, and where there is untapped potential for climate adaptation and social resilience.

The challenge is not only to map where vegetation exists. It is to ask what that vegetation does, who it serves, how it is experienced, and where it could create greater value.

International Challenge: Mapping Environmental Risk and Opportunity

Nairobi County, Kenya

Rapidly growing cities often experience sharp environmental inequalities that are difficult to capture through conventional, large-scale statistics alone. Within the same city, neighbourhoods can differ strongly in vegetation cover, building density, surface materials, infrastructure, drainage, heat exposure, flood susceptibility, and access to cooling or open spaces. These differences shape everyday wellbeing, public health, mobility, safety, and climate vulnerability.

This track focuses on Nairobi County as a study area. Teams will explore how Earth Observation, GIS, data science, and social interpretation can be combined to identify environmental risks and opportunities across the city. The aim is to develop spatial outputs that can help planners, public agencies, civil society, communities, or researchers better understand where interventions may be most needed.

The challenge is not limited to one environmental issue. Teams may choose to focus on heat, green and blue space access, flood exposure, vulnerable urban form, population exposure, or an integrated view of urban wellbeing.

Additional Track

An additional challenge track may be announced later. More information will be added to this page when available.

Applicants will be able to indicate their preferred challenge track during the application process. Final team formation will be handled by the organising committee to create balanced interdisciplinary teams.

Practical Information

Dates: 19–20 November 2026
Location: Lund, Scania, Sweden
Format: In-person
Participation: Free of charge for selected participants
Language: English
Application deadline: 30 September 2026

The event will take place over two days. Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams, receive support from mentors and organisers, and present their final outputs at the end of the challenge.

Food and refreshments will be provided during the programme. More details about the venue, schedule, data package, mentors, jury, prizes, and final presentation format will be shared with selected participants closer to the event.

Limited travel support may be available, but cannot be guaranteed. Applicants will be able to indicate whether they need travel support in the application form.

Check the hackathon webpage for more details and the application form.

Organisers and Supporters

Society from Space Challenge 2026 is organised by SESAC, Mimir Space, and Green Urbansights.

The event is supported by the Swedish National Space Agency, Nordregio, Space Sweden, IDEON Science Park, and other partners contributing to the growing community around Earth Observation, social science, and urban innovation.

You can find continuous updates on our website at sesac.se/events. Please feel free to share this invitation with your networks if you think this event would interest them.

Warmly

SESAC Team