From 8 to 10 May 2026, Guimarães hosted Eco-Digithon Portugal, a social innovation and sustainability marathon organised within the European ENNEPlus project. Over three days, students, teachers, mentors and representatives of different organisations worked together to develop digital and technological solutions addressing concrete environmental and social challenges.
The event took place mainly at Francisco de Holanda Secondary School and concluded with the final project presentations and awards ceremony at the Landscape Laboratory. The programme included intensive teamwork, mentoring sessions, team-building activities, pitch preparation and rehearsals for the final presentations.
Of the ten teams originally selected, nine took part in the in-person phase, representing schools from several regions of Portugal. Their projects addressed areas such as sustainable water and waste management, mobility, biodiversity, smart agriculture, environmental awareness and social inclusion.
First place was awarded to Escola Profissional D. Afonso Henriques for EcoHair Revolution: Beauty That Saves the Planet. The initiative promotes more sustainable practices in the hair care sector by reducing water consumption, encouraging the responsible use of products, supporting the recycling and reuse of packaging, and raising awareness among students, professionals and clients.
Second place went to Agrupamento de Escolas de Vila Viçosa with Smart Eco-Horta: Knowledge with Roots, a biological, educational and sustainable garden combining technology, practical learning and community engagement. Third place was awarded to GreenStep, also from Vila Viçosa, for an application that measures the school community’s carbon footprint and encourages more sustainable mobility choices.
The overall assessment of the initiative was excellent. All activities ran very smoothly in an atmosphere filled with energy, collaboration and learning. Participants felt at home and developed technical, creative, environmental and communication skills.
Following the Eco-Digithon, the winning team travelled to Italy to participate in the Social Hackathon Umbria, an experience the participants thoroughly enjoyed. The three highest-ranked teams are also set to participate in the Planetiers World Gathering in Guimarães, continuing the development and dissemination of the solutions presented during the event.
