Burgas hosts an international VR Hackathon to combat cybercrime

The International VR Hackathon will be held on June 25 and 26, 2025 in Burgas as part of the Black Sea Game Summit - a two-day conference dedicated to game creators from Bulgaria and the region. The event is organized by the Swiss foundation The Knowledge Foundation in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Municipality of Burgas and "CreaTech Bulgaria".

The challenge will bring together students, teachers, professionals and independent developers from around the world aged 16+ to create innovative VR solutions in support of the global fight against cybercrime. Participation is free and possible both on-site in Burgas and online.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop prototypes of VR experiences focused on topics such as cybersecurity, digital ethics and societal resilience to technological threats. The projects must be compatible with the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S platforms, and be developed under an open license. Evaluation will be carried out by an international jury based on technical implementation, originality, visual presentation and thematic relevance.

The team or individual participant ranked first will have the unique opportunity to present their project at international UN events dedicated to cybercrime and innovations in digital security. The expected locations include Vienna (Austria), Doha (Qatar) or Hanoi (Vietnam), with the choice depending on the UNODC calendar.

The teams ranked second and third will be awarded with free passes (worth €399 per person) to participate in the Web3 Summit in Berlin, which will take place from July 16 to 18, 2025. There they will have the opportunity to showcase their projects to leading experts in the field of blockchain technologies and Web3, as well as participate in a special competition for new awards and funding and partnership opportunities.

In addition, all participants who complete the hackathon will receive the Knowledge Token® - a digital currency of knowledge that can be used for registration in future global events, symposia and training organized by The Knowledge Foundation. This will provide them with long-term access to an international network of innovators, educators and organizations working in the field of digital ethics and technological education.