EU Datathon is an annual open data competition organised by the Publications Office of the EU since 2017.

The competitions are organised to create new value for citizens through innovation, and promoting the use of open data available on data.europa.eu.

Datathons gather teams of young people from all over Europe to stimulate innovation and transform the interaction between citizens and the EU administration. The reuse of data promoted by the EU Datathons is fundamental for new digital products in the information era.

As a result, new applications are developed to improve existing services or create completely unprecedented ones. The competitions also demonstrate that potential reusers do need such initiatives for visibility to potential business partners.

Open data demonstrated in every edition how powerful this resource can be, in every sector of society. It showed us how it could help in the creation of new businesses, innovative products and services; it promotes transparency in the public sector, addresses societal challenges, boosts economic growth and accelerates scientific progress.

Every EU Datathon competition showed innovation when teams tackled different challenges such as help achieving the digital single market (e.g. Tenderlake and C4P.io), making legislation more interoperable (e.g. The Smartfiles Network and Lexparency), offering cutting-edge technology on medicines (e.g. Medicatio and Open Food Facts) or tackling climate change (ODCCI) through a platform which optimises irrigation to reduce water waste (e.g. Chloe Irrigation System).

These examples, among others, uncover how information accessible and reusable can help to build a better future.

EU Datathons are organised in collaboration with partners in EU institutions and Member States to address domains of primary importance for citizens and businesses: legislation, medications, food safety and public procurement, among others.

This interinstitutional collaboration highlights the common goals to be closer to citizens and support innovative start-ups. Additionally, by facilitating cooperation between public entities and the private sector, EU Datathons generate new ideas for open government offering a platform for all sides to exchange information and learn.

Moreover, it is a new, more direct way of interaction between citizens, innovative youth and the EU administration and it can generate a positive atmosphere around the Commission and the EU institutions in general.

• The fifth EU Datathon (2021) was organised as part of the EU Open Data Days together with EU DataViz. The EU Open Data Days were organised by the Publications Office of the European Union, with the active support of over 60 partners, representing the data providers from EU institutions and agencies, European national open data portal and national statistical offices, and key digital players in Luxembourg.
• The fourth EU Datathon (2020) was organised in partnership with DG REGIO and supported by Horizon 2020 and the ISA² programmes. Among the partners were eleven Commission directorates-general, the European Parliament, the European Court of Auditors, the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank and many others.
• The third EU Datathon (2019) was organised in partnership with the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, five directorates-general and services of European Commission (Budget, Economic and Financial Affairs, Energy, Eurostat, and the Joint Research Centre), the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Environment Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
• The second EU Datathon (2018) was organised in partnership with three directorates-general of the European Commission (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs; Communications Networks, Content and Technology; and Informatics) as well as with the ELI Task Force and with the European Food Safety Authority.
• The first EU Datathon (2017) was organised in partnership with the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.