The Europe Hackathon Inspires Creative Solutions to Real-World Challenges

If you are wondering what in the world a “hackathon” is, then we’ve got you covered!! A hackathon is an intense challenge where a group of participants, called “hackers”, work on a problem statement to come up with a solution in a short period of time; typically, within 24-48 hours. Towards the end of the hackathon, teams present the summary of their discussion to a panel of judges to find a winner. Hackers are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the challenge. Instead, the hackathon encourages participants to use the resources provided to address the challenge.

Since 2017, ISPE has been successfully running hackathons for its Emerging Leaders Community of Practice (i,e. students and recent graduates). The hackathon has become an integral part of the Europe Annual Conference as it has become an effective gateway for emerging talent to get a taste of what the industry is all about and to meet like-minded peers from across Europe. At its core, the hackathon encourages creative thinking, quick decision making, entrepreneurial spirit and teamwork. As a result, the hackathon has become one of the most exciting components of the Europe Annual Conference – providing emerging leaders a fantastic platform to showcase their talent to the industry.

This year the problem statement was set by our hackathon sponsor, Roche, and it focused on the hot topic of ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products - also known as Cell & Gene Therapy in the USA).

Thomas Hartman, President, and CEO of ISPE and Natalia Nikolaevna Vtyurina, PhD, QA, Manager of Operations at Bristol Myers Squibb and ISPE Netherlands Emerging Leader Chair and Hackathon Chair, opened the proceedings with an introduction to ISPE and the 2023 Europe Hackathon.

The 36 participants were then split into six teams and the problem statement was revealed to them along with a short crash course into ATMPs and Pharma 4.0™ to level the playing field. The hackers then had 24 hours to crack the three-part case of:

1. Reducing Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) of ATMPs,
2. Reducing QC test timelines of ATMPs, and
3. Identifying the most suitable location in Europe for an ATMP manufacturing site.

Throughout the 24-hour period, the hackers had the luxury of calling upon esteemed coaches in the field of ATMPs and Pharma 4.0 to help them navigate their way through the regulations, guidances and other resources that were provided to the hackers.

Fueled by the nuggets of wisdom provided by the coaches and pastries, green curry rice and coffee, the hackers worked against the clock to come up with the best solution. Other than the networking dinner, no time was spared with some teams working in shifts overnight to put as many hours into the final output as possible.

The networking dinner provided an incredible opportunity for our hackers to meet the senior leadership of not only ISPE but also the pharma engineering and manufacturing industry as a whole. We had really great feedback from some of the hackers that they could not believe they were having one on one conversations with CEOs and senior directors at the dinner party.

Sunday morning dawned bright and early for the hackers. While there were some bleary eyes, all teams were busy putting their finishing touches on their presentations. To inject some energy into the hackers, Zam Thahir, Senior Process Engineer at IPS and ISPE UK Emerging Leader Chair and Hackathon Co-chair, turned into a choreographer and got everyone line dancing to the Macarena with full support from the AV team.

On the Sunday afternoon, each team had the opportunity to make a 15-minute pitch to the panel of expert judges regarding their initiatives and suggestions.

We were blown away by the ingenuity and the passion with which our hackathon teams presented their solutions.

The winners, Pink Panther Consulting, had the opportunity to present their solution during the closing general session of the 2023 ISPE Europe Annual Conference and also got behind the wheel for a test drive of the super fancy Lucid Dream – an all electric super car – in downtown Amsterdam, courtesy of Lucid Motors.

The energy and enthusiasm that the emerging leaders demonstrated during the hackathon was refreshing and rewarding. We are certain that the hackers had an exciting, educational and memorable experience. The post-event feedback was overwhelmingly glowing and positive. All eyes are now on the 2024 Europe Hackathon in Lisbon, Portugal.

If you are interested in taking part in the 2024 Europe Hackathon, follow the ‘ISPE European Affiliate Emerging Leaders’ Linkedin page for updates on the hackathon and all other exciting initiatives from the ISPE Emerging Leader Community of Practice. 

View Upcoming Hackathons

Save the date for the 2024 ISPE Europe Annual Conference!

• Conference: 16 - 18 April 2024
• Hackathon: 13 - 14 April 2024

2023 Europe Hackathon Gallery