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Hackathon Winners Declared at the Closing of the Green Startup School
Yesterday, on December 11, the first support program launched by the Startup Center Niš as part of the “Future Cities of Southeast Europe” project, implemented by the Science and Technology Park Niš and the City of Niš, ended with the hackathon that was planned for the very finish of the Green Startup School. The top three prizes at the hackathon were awarded to the teams that devised the best conceptual solutions based on problems in the field of climate change and environmental protection, and presented them before a three-member committee.
During the previous week, ten chosen teams, which consisted of 38 participants, were introduced to the innovation ecosystem, starting a startup, business models, as well as how to present their idea in the best way, through seven modules by experienced lecturers.
The first prize of 3,500 euros was won by the PelleTea team for the production of pellets for heating and mats for animals, the production of which uses waste obtained during the processing of aromatic and medicinal plants as raw material; the second prize of 2,500 euros went to the Bifrost team for the proposed technical solution which produces a biodegradable material made from hemp that can be used to produce disposable packaging, plates, and cutlery, while the third prize of 1,500 euros went to the FlowerTower team for a vertical gardening and composting system that reduces nutrient and water loss.
The winning team has the opportunity to be rewarded with an additional prize of 7,500 euros if they develop and deliver a prototype by December 23.
“The committee analyzed the quality and potential of the teams and whether they meet the criteria that the ideas are relevant to the call and topic themselves, how good the presentation was, what the team dynamics are like and whether the ideas are innovative,” Goran Mladenović, a member of the committee, told us.
“We call ourselves a region with an ‘engineering gene’, so these kinds of support programs are necessary in order for the ideas engineers have to be realized and become businesses that offer many jobs and contribute to the entire community,” Mladenović emphasized.
The Green Startup School is the first support program in our city and region, and the large response of teams, as well as the innovative solutions they presented to us, show that it is important to continue providing opportunities and support to future entrepreneurs, which STP Niš has recognized and will work on developing additional support programs in the future.
