A brand-new set of data-driven challenges is waiting to be solved in the 2026 edition of Code for Earth, ECMWF’s annual innovation programme.
Innovators are invited to deliver solutions to given problem statements, known as challenges, that may improve how Earth science data are used, visualised and interpreted, ultimately addressing today’s most pressing environmental and climate challenges.
Run every year since 2018, Code for Earth aims to drive open-source innovation in the Earth sciences community. Last year’s successes included making meteorological charts for visually impaired scientists, an interactive platform visualising the impact of extreme weather events on energy systems, and an application enabling you to zoom into your hometown and see how a local sandstorm or forest fire affects air quality.
This year’s challenges include rapid decision making during wildfires, analysing global flood forecast data from 10,000 monitoring stations, and detecting implausible behaviour in machine learning systems.
Athina Trakas, ECMWF Innovation Actions and Partnerships Coordinator and lead of the Code for Earth Coordination Team, said: “We’re excited to announce this year’s round, which as usual contains a whole variety of opportunities.
“Code for Earth is all about innovation, collaboration and open-source coding and each year we look forward to meeting the participants and discovering the innovative solutions they bring. As well as the chance to explore new ideas and support ECMWF’s development needs, a big part of Code for Earth is the opportunity to network with like-minded people and build new partnerships.”
Four challenge streams, with a new focus on Africa
The challenges are organised by ECMWF with support from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), Destination Earth (DestinE) and Strengthening Early Warning in Africa (SEWA).
They fall under four streams:
- Data visualisation
- Machine learning
- Software development
- Africa – introduced for 2026, with a focus on joint challenges with African partner organisations
Stijn Vermoote, Head of the Partnerships and Engagement Section at ECMWF, said: “Having this additional stream with a focus on Africa in Code for Earth will also support African young talent through the opportunity to work on real-world challenges in the region, bring new innovation to ECMWF, and build on engagement between the European meteorological community and the African WMO Regional Climate Centres.”
Selected teams will co-develop open-source tools and services that support stronger early warning systems, build regional innovation capacity, and help address key challenges in weather, atmosphere and climate. In the fourth stream, teams will also work on climate change and digital transformation in Africa, defined by local or regional challenge partners.
Open to individuals and teams
Participants are invited to submit proposals for any of the challenges they wish to address. Eligibility details for all streams can be found on the FAQs page on Code for Earth’s website.
After the Call for Participation, selected applicants work individually or in teams, guided by experienced and expert mentors from ECMWF and partner organisations, to solve real-world challenges with applied data science, computing and open-source software coding. All individuals or teams that complete their project successfully will be recognised for their achievements.
How to take part
Applications for Code for Earth 2026 close strictly at 23:59 CEST on 9 April 2026.
For details on how to apply, and terms and conditions, see the Code for Earth website.