OvaCure Innovation Challenge 2025
The third OvaCure Innovation Challenge was held from the 12th to the 13th of May in Copenhagen. The 36-hour hackathon has one overarching goal – namely to create innovative research projects within ovarian cancer.
The third OvaCure Innovation Challenge was held from the 12th to the 13th of May in Copenhagen. The 36-hour hackathon has one overarching goal – namely to create innovative research projects within ovarian cancer.
The video summarizes two intense days with brainstorming, group discussions and last but not least the development of research projects.
In addition to the 21 researchers presented in the video, a jury and three facilitators were also present during the event.
When OvaCure gathers the world’s leading cancer researchers in Copenhagen to create new treatment possibilities within ovarian cancer, it culminates in a major award show where the research teams present their new ideas to the jury. Hereafter the jury distributes an award sum among the most promising projects. This year one team – PRECISION-EC – received 350,000 EUR:
We are very excited to start working with the group.
Organoids are researchers’ new weapon against cancer because they offer a unique opportunity to understand the disease and test treatments more precisely and personally. They are small, three-dimensional mini organs grown from the patient’s own cancer cells, mimicking the tumor in the body. This makes it possible to test treatments directly on the patient’s cells and find the most effective one – without unnecessary side effects. Organoids are also used to study how cancer originates, develops, and becomes resistant. In this way, they pave the way for more targeted and personalized treatment with fewer side effects.
The theme for the OvaCure Innovation Challenge 2025 was therefore: “How can organoids improve clinical outcome in ovarian cancer research?”
OvaCure has just launched The OvaCure Collection – an ambitious non-profit initiative to build the world’s largest and best public collection of organoids developed from tumors in women with ovarian cancer. The initiative is created by a coalition of leading institutions in the Nordic countries: Turku University Hospital (FI), University of Copenhagen (DK), University of Helsinki (FI), and Auria Biobank (FI). The groundbreaking organoid expertise is developed by Assistant Professor Wojciech Senkowski in Professor Krister Wennerberg’s laboratory at the University of Copenhagen. In the first phase, it is the well-known Finnish tumor collection from Turku University Hospital that provides the patient tissue from which the organoids are developed. Ongoing conversations are taking place with other hospitals around the world wishing to join the collaboration to create the world’s largest organoid collection.
The OvaCure Collection was an important part of the OvaCure Innovation Challenge 2025, where Professor Krister Wennerberg and Assistant Professor Wojciech Senkowski were present as facilitators.
One of the first Danish artworks on the Moon will be GROWTH by artist Cody Lukas in collaboration with The OvaCure Collection. The artwork is an image of a hanging sculpture representing an ovarian cancer organoid. GROWTH has been selected for The Moon Bound Book, a historic project that is part of the Moon Gallery Collection. The rocket launch is planned for the end of 2025 and is coordinated with partners involved in the moon mission.
The Moon Bound Book is a miniature book featuring curated thoughts and artistic expressions. The book consists of around 50 international contributions from invited institutions, artists, philosophers, and astronauts.
GROWTH could be experienced on May 13 during the Award Show at the OvaCure Innovation Challenge, held at Hotel Scandic in Kødbyen, Copenhagen.
“Honored to have participated in the OvaCure Innovation Challenge—a truly unique experience that brought together researchers from around the world in the inspiring setting of Copenhagen.
In just two intense and collaborative days, we explored innovative ideas and laid the groundwork for potential new organoid-based projects aimed at improving outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer. Excited to see where these new connections and concepts will lead!“
Christophe Deben, participant in 2025
Professor, co-founder, University of Antwerp
