DESCON 9.0

About DESCON

Launched as a hackathon for IoT and IT security in Belgrade in 2015, DESCON has grown into a vibrant community dedicated to exploring the intersection of ecology and technology. Our annual hackathon and community-building events attract a diverse mix of students, IT professionals, academics, inventors, activists, developers, and leading creative thinkers from around the world. Today, DESCON is dedicated to exploring how the Internet, innovation, and technology can create a more sustainable future. Through lectures, workshops, talks, and hackathons, we constantly seek new ways to make a positive impact.

This year’s DESCON conference will explore how societies can navigate truth, misinformation, and disinformation, trust and power, and what it takes to build resilience in a post-truth world. Speakers include: documentary filmmaker Friedrich Moser; Gordana Andric, Executive Editor at BIRN; Slobodan Marković, Digital Advisor at UNDP; Marianthe Stavridou, a strategic leader and ethics expert at HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts, West Switzerland.

"The world of the future will be an even more demanding struggle against the limitations of our intelligence, not a comfortable hammock in which we can lie down to be waited upon by robot slaves."
- Norbert Wiener

Documentary Screening & Panel

Film: How to Build a Truth Engine

Followed by a discussion with filmmaker Friedrich Moser on misinformation, truth, and trust in the age of AI.

Klimerko Hackathon for Clean Energy and Clean Air

DESCON 9.0, hosted by the Internet Society Serbia Belgrade Chapter on November 21–23, 2025, in Belgrade, is a three-day gathering that blends talks, workshops, and a hands-on hackathon. This year’s focus is on upgrading the Klimerko open-source air-monitoring device to become more sustainable and impactful.

This year’s hackathon will concentrate on:

Klimerko Sensors Upgrade— Expand Klimerko’s capabilities by integrating new sensors, such as earthquake, accelerometer, vibration, noise, and CO₂ sensors.
Renewable Energy Integration— Equip Klimerko with solar power capability. (Three complete solar power sets will be provided for teams to work with.)
Next-generation connectivity—Enhance Klimerko’s communication using LoRaWAN technology. (Two LoRaWAN gateways will be available on site.)
Smarter Data Use— Improve the interpretation and presentation of air-quality data using emerging technologies.
Indoor Version of Klimerko— Develop a compact stand-alone indoor version featuring an additional CO₂ sensor and any of the above.

A set of sensors will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own.

Bringing together technologists, environmentalists, and civic innovators, DESCON’s Klimerko hackathon will advance practical solutions for clean energy and clean air—powered by community collaboration.

About Klimerko

Klimerko.org is the fastest-growing citizen science network in South East Europe. It is powered by an open-source and open-hardware device born at DESCON 7.0.

Program

PDF Conference PDF Hackathon

Please note: The agenda is preliminary and subject to change. A detailed schedule will be announced closer to the event date.

Conference

Day 1 – Friday, 21 November 2025

Venue: Miljenko Dereta, Dobracina 55, Belgrade

10:30-11:00 | Registration and Welcome Coffee

Check-in, badge pickup, and morning networking coffee.

11:00-11:15 | Opening Remarks and Program Overview

Welcome by organizers and introduction to this year’s theme and hackathon format.

11:15-11:45 | From Plato’s Cave to Algorithms

Reshaping power, politics, and global relations.
Speaker: Marianthe Stavridou, strategic leader, ethics expert, public speaker, and consultant.

11:45-12:15 | Using Open-Source AI for Scalable Implementation with Limited Resources

Speaker: Urs Gehrig, AI integration expert, Lighthouse Consulting.

12:15-12:30 | AI Global Dialogue

Speaker: Andrijana Gavrilovic, Head of Diplomatic Reporting at DIPLO Foundation.

12:30-14:00 | Lunch Break

Buffet lunch served in the foyer.

14:00-14:20 | AI: Consuming or Saving Energy?

Challenges and practical approaches to environmentally sustainable use of AI systems.
Speaker: Jari Arkko, Internet and AI technology researcher. (Remote talk)

14:20-14:40 | AI in Serbia, Strategy, Milestones and the Road Ahead

Speaker: Slobodan Marković, Digital Advisor at UNDP.

14:40-15:30 | Workshop 1: AI Is a Harsh Mistress

A critical look at the promises and perils of autonomous decision-making systems.

15:30-15:45 | Coffee Break

15:45-16:30 | A Privacy Nightmare – Investigating and Understanding Spyware

Share Foundation Team: Andrijana Ristić, Tijana Stevanović, Filip Milošević.

17:00-17:30 | WALK TO THE NEW VENUE

European House, Corner of Kneza Mihaila and Zmaj Jovina street, Belgrade.

18:00-20:10 | Serbian Premiere: "How to Build a Truth Engine"

Screening followed by a panel discussion with the author.

Day 2 – Saturday, 22 November 2025

12:30-13:30 | Witnessing Police Brutality

Share Foundation: Olivia Solis and Stevan Kojić

13:30-14:00 | Lunch Break

14:00-15:30 | Workshop 2 – Build Your Own Klimerko

Workshop for a maximum of 7 people who want to assemble their own Klimerko. Kits will be provided to participants.

Hackathon

HACKATHON DAY 1 – Saturday, 22 November 2025

11:00-11:30 | Coffee, Snacks & Registration

11:30-12:00 | Challenge Presentation, Team & Jury Formation

12:00-... | 24-Hour Hackathon Kickoff!

Teams work on their projects throughout the afternoon, evening, and night.

THE CHALLENGE:

Klimerko Sensor Upgrade: Adding extra sensors like earthquake, accelerometer, vibration, noise, and CO₂ to the current device.
Renewable Energy: Equipping Klimerko with solar power capability (3 solar sets provided).
Next-Gen Connectivity: Enhancing communication via LoRaWAN (2 gateways on site).
Smarter Data Use: Improving data interpretation/presentation with new tech.
Indoor Klimerko: Building a standalone desk device with a TFT screen.