Hacktivate AI
Hacktivate AI
  • Overview
  • Schedule
RSVP
  • Overview
  • Schedule

Hacktivate AI

advancing policy solutions for AI Uptake

Hacktivate AI is a policy-focused hackathon designed to spark ideas and solutions that accelerate AI adoption in Europe.

Co-hosted by Allied for Startups and OpenAI, it will bring together entrepreneurs, policymakers, and civil society to co-create practical policies that strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and growth.

Join us for this unique event featuring hands-on hacking sessions, a high-level panel discussion, and a keynote from European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.

RSVP

Date

Tuesday, September 23, 2025
 

Location

Brussels
Belgium

Schedule

  • All

9:00 AM CEST
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Morning - policy hacking sessions (invite-only):

Audience: invite only - experts from across Europe contributing to the 6 tracks:

  • AI-ready workforce – equipping workers with skills to thrive
  • Adoption incentives – helping all sectors from SMEs to traditional industries embrace AI
  • Technical bottlenecks – tackling compute, data, and platform challenges
  • AI for government – advancing AI across public services
  • Monitoring & readiness – exploring an EU AI Readiness Index
  • Macro-policies for AI uptake – out of the box ideas to boost AI at scale.
  • Ecosystem collaboration - exploring cooperation across the Research-Startups-Industry continuum

Speech by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission

3:00 PM - 7:00 PM CEST
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Afternoon – Open Forum

Audience: invite only - experts from EU Institutions and Members States, business leaders, SMEs and startups, academics

15:00 - 15:10 - Opening remarks by Allied for Startups and OpenAI
15:10 - 16:00 - Pitch sessions from each track
16:00 - 16:50 - Panel discussion : The opportunities and challenges of AI adoption for Europe’s competitiveness, with:

  • Sean Kask, Chief AI Strategy Officer, SAP
  • Małgorzata Nikowska, Head of Unit, Innovation and Policy Coordination, EU AI Office
  • Maximilian Freier, Lead Economist and AI Coordinator, European Central Bank
  • Serena Borbotti-Frison, Director General, Allied for Startups
  • Sandro Gianella, Head of EMEA Policy and Partnerships, OpenAI

16:50 - 17:00 - Closing speaker : Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament
17:00 - 18:30 - Cocktail and demos

For more information, please reach out to hacktivate@openai.com