Vegetation management near electrical infrastructure is one of the most complex challenges for electricity transmission and distribution companies. This field brings together critical factors such as security of supply, asset availability, environmental integration, and the need to efficiently mobilise human and financial resources. In this context, having reliable estimates of how, and at what rate, vegetation grows depending on species and location is key to planning medium-term interventions and resource allocation, such as tree felling, pruning, or clearing. All of this is essential to reduce risks and optimise costs.
With this in mind, Red Eléctrica and Elewit are jointly launching the Green Data Challenge 2026, an initiative designed to identify companies, startups, research groups, and technology centres capable of improving – or developing – predictive models for vegetation growth in areas near electrical infrastructure. The challenge is designed as a competitive, applied process based on real data and objective evaluation criteria. The goal is to identify solutions with a potential for implementation and scaling in real operational environments.
What makes this challenge different?
Green Data Challenge 2026 provides participants with a set of real data from areas surrounding Red Eléctrica's assets. Using this dataset, teams must train their models and submit a proposal with their best estimate for an Evaluation Date, which will be announced during the challenge. The aim is to predict, as accurately as possible, the maximum height of the vegetation and the fractional canopy cover in the various areas analysed.
What opportunities does participation offer?
Beyond recognition, the challenge opens the door to future collaboration with Red Eléctrica, particularly for solutions that demonstrate strong adaptability and scalability across different species and territories. In addition, Elewit will showcase the best-rated proposals through its communication channels and outreach activities, helping participants gain visibility within the energy innovation ecosystem. Each participant will also receive individualised feedback on their results, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and further develop their analytical capabilities.
Green Data Challenge 2026 ultimately aims to accelerate smarter, more predictive, and more sustainable vegetation management by connecting real needs in the electricity system with advanced analytics and AI capabilities. For those who enjoy technical challenges from an applied, impact-driven perspective, this initiative represents an opportunity to prove the value of their solutions in a demanding environment with transparent metrics.
To take part in this edition, submit your application between 22 April and 18 May 2026. Once registered, you will gain access to the Dataset containing the information needed to train your vegetation growth estimation models.
Join the Green Data Challenge and be part of the shift towards smarter and more sustainable vegetation management!