Next-gen marine monitoring system built by Cyprus youth team wins first prize at VeneTo Stars Challenge 2025

A youth team from Cyprus, students at the educational innovation hub STEMFreak, have won first prize at the prestigious VeneTo Stars Challenge 2025 - a European platform promoting innovation in the Blue and Space Economy, for their project Thalasat.

The students travelled to Venice on 20-22 May 2025 to pitch their proposal and compete against other youth teams from across Europe – and they won first prize.

What is Thalasat?

Thalasat is a next-generation, satellite-based marine monitoring system designed to detect and visualise threats to Mediterranean ecosystems – ranging from marine heatwaves to biodiversity loss. Powered by AI, Earth observation data from Copernicus, geolocation tools from Galileo and EGNOS, and weather forecasts from ECMWF, Thalasat delivers early warnings, trend analysis, and user-friendly visualisations to empower real-time, science-based decision making at the regional level.

“Thalasat is more than a tech project—it’s a bold statement about what young minds can achieve when given the tools, trust, and challenge to tackle real-world problems,” said Dr Andri Vrioni, Founder of STEMFREAK and expert in educational innovation. “These youths are not just participants in innovation; they are shaping the future of environmental intelligence in the Mediterranean.”

The team behind the mission

Led entirely by Cypriot teens and young adults, trained through STEMFREAK’s STEAM education programmes, the Thalasat team includes:

1. Christos Charalambous (19 years old) – CEO, Space & Strategy. STEMFREAK Graduate Student, specialising in space technologies and outreach
2. Andreas Leonidou (19 years old) – COO, AI & Algorithms. Software developer with a focus on robotics, ML, and AI ethics
3. Chara Siekkeri (19 years old) – Head of Sustainability. STEMFREAK Graduate Student, with expertise in environmental physics and public policy
4. Michalis Chatzittofi (16 years old) – CTO, R&D. STEMFREAK Student and STEAM Ambassador, skilled in IoT and systems design
5. Stefanos Siathas (15 years old) – Head Data Scientist. STEMFREAK Student and STEAM Ambassador, with a deep passion for data engineering

“At STEMFREAK, we design learning experiences that connect science, technology, and civic responsibility,” added Dr Vrioni. “Thalasat is the perfect example: a student-led initiative that blends AI, space data, and marine science to serve communities and the planet. It’s education with purpose.”

The Veneto Region—with its fragile lagoon ecosystems, eroding coastlines, and marine-dependent industries—will serve as the first test site for Thalasat’s localised applications. The system will provide:

• Marine heatwave detection for early intervention
• Coastal erosion monitoring to support resilient planning
• Water quality tracking to inform conservation and aquaculture
• Public visualisations and predictive models for policy, education, and civic action

“The VeneTo Stars Challenge gives visibility to exactly the kind of initiatives Europe needs right now: regionally grounded, scientifically robust, and youth-driven,” said Dr Vrioni. “Thalasat shows how the Blue and Space Economies can intersect with education, policy, and local action for real impact.”