Do not miss today's Interreg Annual Event at the European commision with young people sharing their perspective on the future of EU. We are happy to announce that the Popri International Eusair Youth winners from Serbia will be participating. Give it up for Eco Hive with Miodrag Milanovic as a speaker (high school category) and @pannonian crew: Lara for the students category with @vladimir krsmanović as a speaker. Follow as at 10.50 and 12.20 am!
After hearing all the business models pitches, the jury members have selected the winning teams in both categories that we proudly announce and congratulate:
𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
1st place: Ecological anti varroa hive, Serbia Business Incubator Novi Sad
2nd place: PASSIONIS, Slovenia Primorski tehnološki park
3rd place: SMOKELOCK, Italy Friuli Innovazione
𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
1st place: LARA, Serbia
2nd place: Soundtrack treasury Mesecina, Slovenia
3rd place: CON2NVERT, Italy
EUSAIR POPRI competition is a stepping stone and each experience helps all the teams to learn. We congratulate all of them for developing their ideas into business models and for their amazing presentations in front of the jury members and public! Their job was not easy but they all did a great job and we wish them good luck in their future endeavours, we are certain they will achieve everything they work towards! Congratulations to all the teams and mentors!
see you next year in Bosnia and Herzegovina! Knowledge CenterTechpark VaraždinInovacioni Centar Banja LukaStudent Business CenterAuleda, Local Economic Development Agency, VloreEuropean Commission
Our activities are cofinanced by Mestna občina Nova Gorica
Another year is around and the 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗥𝗜 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 that was held in Tirana, Albania has concluded. Through the year we met so many talents with fresh ideas and disruptive solutions, but only a selection of the best among them managed to present their business ideas in Tirana (Albania) at the final event – the pitch competition in front of international jury. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, trying to find innovative solutions for real problems of people and society, discovering the market potential, developing business model, team building, communication, negotiation, project and financial planning, risk management and so on. 𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗥𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: - it is about developing entrepreneurial mind-set, innovation and creativity,- it is about the opportunity to learn, develop and grow,- it is about making international social network that we all need.Primorski technology park, as a main organizer of EUSAIR POPRI Youth, as well our partners from all Adriatic-Ionian region countries, that are mainly represented by technology parks, incubators, development agencies and schools, were offering to young participants knowledge, mentorship, motivation and connections. Through months of working with young people we have seen their progress, enthusiasm, and the willingness to develop new products and services to make the world a better place to live in. We are very satisfied, because we have seen young people learn, change and develop. And, we are very proud of them, because they care about the environment, society and the fellow human beings.
Our activites are cofinanced by Mestna občina Nova Gorica
At the final of the national competition for entrepreneurial ideas of young people POPRI, organized by the Primorska Technology Park, 35 teams or 98 out of a total of 322 participants competed in Nova Gorica on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. The Jury decided who was the most convincing pitcher - presenting their entrepreneurial project in a startup way in five minutes. Teams competed for the top three spots in the categories of elementary school students, high school students and young people up to 29 years old. Winning brings financial, as well as other prizes provided by the co-organizers - Spirit Slovenia, public agency, the Slovenian Enterprise Fund and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia. The results were announced at the gala closing event, which was facilitated by the Municipality of Nova Gorica and the Municipality of Šempeter Vrtojba. In the final round, a special guest, a well known entrepreneur Ivo Boscarol, provided a special prize for the most inspiring business model
The school year was marked by Covid, but this did not prevent the young talents from dedicating themselves to developing their innovative ideas in an enterprising way. One hundred and twenty-two teams (342 participants) from all over Slovenia came up with sound business models with the support of 85 mentors in 66 educational institutions. The best 98 teams made it through the regional pre-selections organized, not only by the Primorska Technology Park (covering western Slovenia and Slovenian students living abroad), but also by the Ljubljana Technology Park for central Slovenia, the SAŠA incubator for northeastern Slovenia, and the Novo mesto Development Center for the southeastern part of the country.
During the last phase of the national competition, that took place in Nova Gorica, the finalists presented their work to the jury , which is composed of the following members:
| UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND PARTICIPATS TILL 29YRS | |
| Ana Mrzlikar | SPIRIT Slovenija, public agency |
| Marjan Batagelj | Postojnska jama d.d. |
| Elvis Janežič | Instrumentation Technologies d.o.o. |
| Luka Mali | MakerLab Ljubaljana |
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS | |
| Mateja Grobelnik | Slovenian Enterprise Fund |
| Matej Peršolja | Protectus Technologies, Inc. |
| Nina Dremelj | Business angels Slovenia |
| Manca Šalehar | Wolt d.o.o. Slovenija |
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS | |
| mag. Jana Beton | Ministry for Economic development and technology |
| Nika Kristina Butina | Epidemic d.o.o. |
| Mateja Lavrič | Kolektor Ventures d.o.o. |
| Rado Daradan | Hooray Studios d.o.o. |
Members of the jury selected the three best teams in each category. The third-place winners received EUR 700 each, the second-place winner EUR 1,300, and the winners EUR 2,000 each from the prize fund provided by the competition's co-organizers: the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Spirit Slovenia, the Public Agency, and the Slovenian Fund for Entrepreneurship. The competition was also supported by the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad, as students from Trieste and Gorizia also participated. Popri also opens the door to the world, as the first placed students will also participate in the international POPRI EUSAIR Youth in May 2022 in Albania, and the first three teams of students will also participate in the Genius Olympiad in New York. In addition to the financial prize, the winning elementary school team will also receive a video production course offered by RTV Slovenia.
The POPRI competition proved again that even difficult school conditions cannot stop young people from shaping their future with innovative ideas and optimism - and gaining adult support in the process.
1ST PLACE
TEAM:: E-FAIRYTALES
TEAM MEMBERS: Lovro Zajc Pino Lukežič Naja Decevec Blažka Petohleb
MENTOR: Uroš Turk in Dolores Keš
SCHOOL: OŠ Miroslava Vilharja Postojna
Regiional partner: Primorski tehnološki park
Business model description: E-FAIRYTALES is a global website where families from all over the world can find new, original fairy tales that we write, draw, dub and animate for children ourselves. Fairy tales can be browsed and read by families, listened to dubbed and watched animated like cartoons.
2ND PLACE
TEAM: Route Security
TEAM MEMBERS: David Nograšek Maj Novak Max Mirtič Srečko Matjaž Berginc Karla Zobarič
MENTOR: Lea Burger, Petra Nograšek
SCHOOL: OŠ Grm Novo mesto
Regiional partner: Razvojni center Novo mesto
Business model description Our product Route Security is intended for all those who transport bicycles or other cargo on the roof of a car. With our product we prevent unusual accidents - when you drive your car with a load on the roof under a canopy that is too low or into a garage, causing serious damage to the bike or the load it is carrying.
3RD PLACE
TEAM Seed Loop
TEAM MEMBERS: Kristjan Šturm Aljaž škvarča Lin Čadež
MENTOR: Tina Lisac
SCHOOL: OŠ Cerkno
Regional partner: Primorski tehnološki park
Business model description
We present a project in the field of urban gardening. We have developed an intelligent heat bed called Seed Loop, which allows less experienced gardeners to garden without much effort. The beam mimics a closed ecosystem, which means that all processes are automated.
1ST PLACE
TEAM: Passionis, naravna sadna šminka
TEAM MEMBERS: Ema Novak Brina Goleš Naja Kambič Sara Absec
MENTOR: Mateja Nemanič
SCHOOL: Ekonomska šola Novo mesto, Srednja šola in gimnazija
Regional partner: Razvojni center Novo mesto
Business model description:Passionis is a natural fruit lipstick made from real freeze-dried fruits. During the freeze-drying process, the water is removed from the fruits so that all the vitamins and minerals are preserved and enter the body through the lips. The lipstick is a great solution for those who are aware that it is not only important what they put in themselves, but also themselves.
2ND PLACE
TEAM: Nighttime Secret
TEAM MEMBERS: Zoja Popovič Lea Lazar Deja Pečar Gaja Bijelić Maša Šemrl
MENTOR: Tanja Skok
SCHOOL: Srednja ekonomsko - poslovna šola Koper
Regional partner: Primorski tehnološki park
Business model description: Nighttime secret is a small and portable intimate fragrance for sexually active women. The organic bottle is filled with a natural filler, making it suitable for women with allergies and sensitive skin. The company's goal is to help women solve their sex life problem.
3RD PLACE
TEAM: TIKVA
TEAM MEMBERS: Lara Širovnik Petra Ouček Luna Kočar Lena Kočar Lia Bauer
MENTOR: Nina Žuman, Mateja Godec
SCHOOL: Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča Ljutomer
Regional partner: Razvojni center Novo mesto
Business model description: Our idea is called pumpkin. It is a natural night face cream that contains pumpkin oil. Pumpkin seed oil benefits the skin in several ways. If you struggle with acne, dry skin or other types of blemishes, be sure to include it in your skin care routine.
TEAM: Zvočna zakladnica Mesečina
TEAM MEMBERS: Janez Goršin, Martin Božič, Filip Plešnik, Jakob Čuk
MENTOR: Milan Lazarević iz Tehnološkega parka Ljubljana
FACULTY: Fakulteta za strojništvo (UL FS)
Regijski partner: Tehnološki park Ljubljana
BUSINESS MODEL DESCRIPTION: An online platform that provides access to the largest database of sound recordings, fairy tales and other children's literature. It is designed to be interactive, so that listeners to the content can also contribute and help expand the amount of stories read.
2nd PLACE
TEAM / BUSINESS MODEL: rEboard
TEAM MEMBERS: Matevž Cimermančič
MENTOR: Marko Vukobrat, Simon Jeraj from the development center Novo mesto
SCHOOL: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (UL FS)
Regional partner: Novo mesto development center
Description of the idea: rEboard is a portable multifunctional write-erase board. Its peculiarity is that it is made from discarded television and computer screens.
3rd PLACE
TEAM / BUSINESS MODEL: GreenMeal
TEAM MEMBERS: Evelin Redjeposka, Tjaša Drobnič
MENTOR: /
SCHOOL: Faculty of Economics (UL EF)
Regional partner: Technology Park Ljubljana
Idea description: GreenMeal is a sustainable company that allows customers to buy ready-made, weighed and cut, and organically packaged ingredients for meal preparation. The company also adds appropriate recipes to the product for customers.
In addition to 2022, Ivo Boscarol also participated in a round table where he shared his entrepreneurial experience with young entrepreneur Rebeka Udvanc from Beesmetic, who won POPRI years ago as a student, and Niao Krstina Butina, founder of the startup Epidemic. Boscarol surprised at the award ceremony with additional prize of € 3,000 for the entrepreneurial idea that inspired him the most. These were the winners in the category of elementary school students from Postojna, who presented the business model E Fairytales.
On March 8, 2022, two hundred and sixty-nine young people competed with their business models for a place in the final round of the national competition for entrepreneurial ideas POPRI, organized by Primorski tehnološki park. The regional pre-selections were held simultaneously in four locations in Slovenia - Nova Gorica, Ljubljana, Velenje and Novo mesto. Experienced entrepreneurs as members of the regional juries decided which teams presented their ideas most convincingly. With this regional competition, the 3 best teams from each local region and each individual category (36 in total) will be selected and qualify for the national competition organized by Primorski tehnološki park on April 5, 2022 in Nova Gorica. The national competition will serve as a springboard for the best teams to participate in the EUSAIR POPRI youth competition in Tirana, May 16-17, 2022.
This year's competition was live again after two digital performances. Despite the difficult situation in education due to the Corona virus, no less than 342 young people applied for it. The contest participants developed their ideas with the support of 85 mentors in 66 educational institutions (elementary schools, High-schools and Universitites). From the proposals received, the members of the jury selected the best from each category, who qualified for the regional pre-selections and presented their products orally in the form of a 5-minute pitch - a short and inspiring startup presentation.
Depending on the location of the applicants, the evaluation of the entrepreneurial ideas was carried out by the regional partners of the competition, namely:
- Primorski tehnološki park, Nova Gorica, (Goriška, Obalno - Kraška, Primorsko - Notranjska)
- Novo mesto Development Center (SE Slovenia and Posavje region)
- Ljubljana Technology Park (Central Slovenia, Gorenjska, Zasavje)
- SAŠA Incubator (Koroška, Savinjska, Podravje and Prekmurje)
The national POPRI competition is organized by Priimorski tehnološki park in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, SPIRIT Slovenia, a public agency, and the Slovenian Enterprise Fund. The final round is also co-organized by the Municipality of Nova Gorica and the Municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba.
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| APIFEED | Rok Cigoj, David Košir | OŠ Dobravlje | Andreja Vister, Tanja Krapež - Regijska razvojna agencija ROD Ajdovščina |
| E-FAIRYTALES | Lovro Zajc, Pino Lukežič, Naja Debevec, Blažka Petohleb | OŠ Miroslava Vilharja Postojna | Uroš Turk, Šolski center Postojna |
| SEED LOOP | Kristjan Šturm, Aljaž Škvarča, Lin Čadež | OŠ Cerkno | Tina Lisac, Idrijsko-Cerkljanska razvojna agencija |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| E-košara | Mojca Lipušček, Taja Ipavec, Naja Repovš, Nika Poberaj | Gimnazija Nova Gorica | Ines Vižin |
| Nighttime Secret | Zoja Popovič, Lea Lazar, Deja Pečar, Gaja Bijelić, Maša Šemrl | Srednja ekonomsko - poslovna šola Koper | Tanja Skok |
| Špateste | Matevž Podbersič | Šolski center Nova Gorica, Biotehniška šola | Greta Černilogar |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| Didactic table game: In the garden | Saša Zvonar | Pedagoška fakulteta Koper (UP PEF) | Luka Srbič UP PEF |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| Fingerboarding namesto gaming / slovenske ročno izdelane lesene mini rolkice | Saša Grbić | OŠ Škofljica | Anita Grbić, mami |
| Foody - pet | Žan Filip Grad, Jalen Jožef Mermal, Anaja Grudnik, Zoja Ovsec | OŠ Dragomelj | Maja Kavčič |
| Piškotna žlička | Irena Tišler, Anja Božičnik | OŠ Frana Albrehta Kamnik | Marcel Lah, Nika Škrjanec |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR | |
| Amphora - pametni obesek za hidracijo | Sara Mitrović Maruša Komat, Dina Šakanović, Jure Radalj | Gimnazija Moste | Nina Vidic, Špela Bogolin | |
| S&P | Nike Kozamernik, Tine Lisec | Gimnazija Franceta Prešerna | Natalija Majes | |
| SmallFox | Pino Pavlin, Erik Gruden | Elektrotehniško-računalniška strokovna šola in gimnazija Ljubljana | Aleksandar Lazarević | |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| Carabinox | Andraž Flis | Ekonomska fakulteta (UL EF) | |
| Video igra Arxeus | Vid Šimenc, Luka Vehovec, Aleksandra Bjelovuk, Martin Bošnjak, Alen Leban | Se ne izobražujem | Taja Nograšek, Kovačnica |
| Zvočna zakladnica Mesečina | Janez Goršin Filip Plešnik Jakob Čuk Martin Božič | Fakulteta za strojništvo (UL FS) | Milan Lazarević |
| GreenMeal | Evelin Redjeposka Tjaša Drobnič | Ekonomska fakulteta (UL EF) | |
| KAKO POSTATI POLIGLOT | Pia Džakulin | Filozofska fakulteta |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| LA NATURA . NARAVNA KOZMETIKA | BRINA HELBL, ZOJA ŠTERN, ŽANA PAPEŽ | OŠ Fram | NATAŠA MAVER ŠOBA, OŠ Fram |
| Ptujski lük pripravljen za kuhanje | Iza Visenjak, Julija Ciglarič, Teja Hebar, Tjan Alič Voršič, Gal Bezjak | OŠ Gorišnica | Florijan Cajzek, David Visenjak. Perutnina Ptuj |
| SLADKOTIVITY - z igro do znanja | Pavel Šimonka, Jakob Anderlič | OŠ Janeza Kuharja Razkrižje | Anita Danč Ismajlovič, Mitja Utroša |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| Hapticool - haptična VR izkušnja | Tim Andrejc, Aneja Pirnat | Šolski center Velenje, Elektro in računalniška šola | Islam Mušić |
| Spektrometer Paxia | Domen Trontelj | I. gimnazija v Celju | |
| TIKVA | Lara Širovnik, Petra Ouček Luna Kočar, Lena Kočar, Lia Bauer | Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča Ljutomer | Nina Žuman, Mateja Godec |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| GiGi- Čili olje | Gregor Dražnik | / | Sonja Vratarič, Razvojni Center Murska Sobota |
| Odbeet namaz | Enis Bećarević ,Marko Oljača Tilen Tićević | Šolski center Velenje, Višja strokovna šola | |
| TRI KAPLJICE - IZDELKI IZ RAKITOVCA | IRIS VIDOVIČ | Šolski center Ptuj, Višja strokovna šola | VESNA TRANČAR - ŠC PTUJ, VIŠJA STROKOVNA ŠOLA |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| BottMix | Lovro Boltez, Nuša Mrak, Tinkara Medle, Živa Nose | OŠ Brusnice | Zdenka Škrbec |
| Igračko | Agnes Globevnik, Katja Čolič Aš, Vid Kraljič | OŠ Šmarjeta | Manca Seničar |
| Route Security | David Nograšek, Maj Novak, Max Mirtič, Srečko Matjaž Berginc, Karla Zobarič | OŠ Grm Novo mesto | Lea Burger, Petra Nograšek |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| Cvetoči travnik | Stefanija Meglič, Vanessa Gole, Ana Urbančič Novak, Hana Kompare | Šolski center Novo mesto, Srednja gradbena, lesarska in vzgojiteljska šola | Anja Jakše, RCNM |
| MASAŽNO OLJE US | Urša Duhanič, Saša Rantah | Grm Novo mesto - center biotehnike in turizma, Kmetijska šola Grm in biotehniška gimnazija | Mitja Turk, Janez Gorenc |
| Passionis, naravna sadna šminka | Ema Novak, Brina Goleš Naja Kambič Sara Absec | Ekonomska šola Novo mesto, Srednja šola in gimnazija | Mateja Nemanič |
| BUSINESS IDEA | TEAM MEMBERS | INSTITUTION | MENTOR |
| rEboard - Didaktični pripomoček iz zavrženih TV monitorjev | Matevž Cimermančič | Fakulteta za strojništvo (UL FS) | Marko Vukobrat, Simon Jeraj - RCNM |
| GlobalBird | Kaja Metež, Špela Hribar | Univerza v Novem mestu Fakulteta za ekonomijo in informatiko. | Malči Grivec, Univerza v Novem mestu, FEI |
| HAMY-NJAMI | Manja Šturbej, Maja Horvatič | Grm Novo mesto - center biotehnike in turizma, Višja strokovna šola | Angelca Hrovat Ana Marjanović, GRM Novo mesto |
After the successful 1st edition of Popri international EUSAIR Youth, the Youth Business Model Competition is organized again within the framework of the Albanian EUSAIR Presidency. Here are the main steps to register your team for the competition.
After the selection of national teams in your country, business ideas shall be sent to Primorski tehnološki park via e-platform (via technology parks/incubators of EUSAIR countries). The application is open from 20th April till 5th May 2022. By 5th May 2022 ppt-s and other requested documents shall be sent as well.
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The information about passing the eligibility criteria will be delivered a day after the submission of the application form and business plan (6th May 2022).
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An International jury will review written applications in advance, prior to the competition. Business models will be sent to the members of the jury (6th May 2021).
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Members of the jury will evaluate (partly) written business models by 12th May 2022 (templates with other information available for the jury on GoogleDrive) On the 1st day of the event (16th May 2022) national teams will present their business ideas in front of the jury (5 minutes pitch + 5 minutes for questions and answers). Members of the jury complete the evaluation procedure.
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Best business ideas of each of 2 categories will be selected by international jury (taking into account written and verbal presentation in English).
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On the 2nd day of the event (17th May 2022) there will be a gathering with a well-known entrepreneur; award ceremony will take place during the political session of the EUSAIR FORUM
Do you still remember the international POPRI competition, EUSAIR POPRI Youth, that took place in May 2021
and moderator Sašo Papp? No? Click HERE to refresh your memory 😊
Sašo Papp, moderator at events EUSAIR POPRI Youth 2021, businessman and a journalist, has written an interesting article for all of us... enjoy reading!
Do you realize how few entrepreneurs and businesses have succeeded without setbacks? I would bet that there are no people and businesses that do not have or have not had setbacks to learn from. And yet, I feel like we do not talk about it enough. Probably because such a debate is not too "fancy". But you know what we always say everywhere, right? That you should learn from mistakes. Without them, there is no development.
"It's the journey that matters, not the destination," to paraphrase the thinking of many smarter, more experienced, and much more successful people than me. Gary Vaynerchuck, among others, talks about this often, saying that he enjoys the challenges of the journey every day. And that's a mindset. It's not easy to get into such thinking, but I believe that such a "mindset" is one of the extremely important points for success.
Having two young daughters (ages 6 and 3) at home, I cannot help but compare the downturn in the economy to how a child learns to walk. Not by being held by the arms and leaning on us, as we see parents and even more often grandparents of toddlers do, but by clinging to the things around them and searching for balance. In doing so, of course, it is necessary to fall many times. Each fall is recorded by the toddler in his little brain and from this mass of falls and large amounts of data, he then tries to find a better solution. The parent's job, of course, is to provide a safe environment for the child to fall often and gain experience. Here I see a parallel with supportive startup environments like Primorski tehnološki park, which takes care of you, a safe environment, encourages you, provides support and knowledge.
Let us stick with the infant analogy for a moment. There are at least two things that most parents have gotten wrong in recent years. They are far too protective, caring far too much for their toddlers, and another problem is the use of modern technology (television instead of nature walks). The result is that we have a lot of pre-schoolers who do not know how to run, how to make a pass, and are practically motor disabled, which is not a good way to live by any means.
Even in entrepreneurship, on the one hand, we can be too cautious, for example, we do not dare to test a new idea, or we rely too much on technology and do not understand that we can reach customers in many "analog" ways and not only through social networks. But as many entrepreneurs become more anti-social and communicate digitally, it's just much easier and more convenient for us to communicate digitally instead of going to a live event and getting a chance to present our product or idea, make new contacts and get potential new customers. You have probably read somewhere before that it's not what we know, but who we know that matters. So, expanding your circle of acquaintances can only be a good journey and a darn good investment of time. And live dating still far outweighs digital opportunities to do so.
And here I cannot help but think of the comfort zone. You must know that most of the time we humans are our own greatest adversary. Our brains are made to protect us from acting as our protector. That voice inside us that keeps telling us that it's better if we do not do something, do not do it, rather stay on the couch, etc. You know why? Because if you do not go hunting, nothing bad can happen to you. You cannot take a bad fall and get hurt; you cannot get eaten by a wild beast...
Our brains have thought so limited for millennia. And then you do not go hunting until you are really hungry, right? Then the survival instinct kicks in and then we can move mountains, catch mammoths and have unlimited energy and focus. Well, until we run out of energy from hunger. To prevent this from happening to us on our entrepreneurial journey, it's extremely important to artificially build a true "state of mind". Alone. To purposefully change what we say to ourselves. To overcome the protective thinking of the inner voice or our brain.
It's important to step out of your comfort zone, kick yourself in the butt every day, multiple times if necessary, and be 100% willing to fall. To failure, to rejection, to the fact that the next phone call or email will bring you rejection, which is always hard to accept. But if you practise, you'll know up front that one or 64 rejections does not equal failure. It may not take away your desire to win. But you may be just one call or contact away from success.
And remember. Growth only happens when the instances we learn from are also present. So look in the mirror every morning and say to yourself, "No problem if I fall today. I am not afraid because I know that without falls there is no progress, no success".
After winning the international POPRI competition organized by the Primorska Technology Park, high school students Val Vidmar and Nik Stanojević won a SILVER MEDAL with their entrepreneurial idea "VISUS See With Me" in the Business category of the world renown competition Genius Olympiad (NY).
Third year high school students have developed a smart device in the form of a hostel belt to provide comprehensive assistance to the blind and visually impaired in their daily lives. SWM connects people with their environment and enables appropriate sensing and perception. The user can choose between different ways of perceiving and communicating data from the environment.
With the help of advanced algorithms and 3D recognition, SWM will detect obstacles, pavement edges, floor markings, traffic lights, hazards such as cars, cyclists, potholes, stairs and the like during use. An accurate GPS system will make it easier for blind people to walk from point A to point B. The device will be able to remember the environment the blind person has already walked in, so the device will learn in real time, share this information with other users, and soon establish a system that will allow the blind to safely walk in outdoor public areas.
Nik Stanojević and Val Vidmar are third year students at Gimnazija Novo mesto. They are engaged in innovations in the field of technological aids for the blind. The "See With Me" device is designed to enable blind people to more easily orient themselves in the environment, making them more independent. "We want to bring a new generation of technologically advanced assistive devices to the market. Our priority is to improve the world through the use of advanced technologies," explain the ambitious students, who also tested their product with successful blind entrepreneur Miha Srebrnjak, owner of the online store Samopostrezna.com. Their participation in the competition was made possible by Primorska Technology Park as a prize for winning the national POPRI competition.
At Genius Olympiad in Oswego, NY, 2,481 projects from 85 countries were submitted through the pre-selection process, of which 1,245 were accepted. The competition in the USA was held in six categories. Val Vidmr and Nik Stojanovič qualified for the finals with the Visus See with Me business model, where they presented their project in person to the international commissions, for which they received a silver medal.
This year, the competition took place on online platforms to prevent the spread of the Corona virus. You can view the award at the link below:
After 3,838 young participants developed 1458 business models in 18 years at POPRI Slovenia, the national competition organized by Primorska Technology Park has grown into an international project. Pupils and students from nine countries in the Adriatic-Ionian region competed with their entrepreneurial ideas at the EUSAIR Forum in Portorož on 11 and 12 May. It is an initiative that puts Slovenia on the map of the most pervasive countries in the field of developing entrepreneurship skills among young people. The teams from Slovenia were delighted with the victories in both categories.
The POPRI competition has been held on online platforms since the outbreak of the pandemic. Despite distance learning, this year 344 young people in Slovenia competed in the categories of elementary school students, high school students and young people up to 29 years old. The winners among high school and university students also represented Slovenia in the first international competition EUSAIR POPRI Youth
The Primorska Technology Park wanted to expand the model of the competition, which develops entrepreneurship among young people and broadens their horizons, beyond the borders of Slovenia, as they perceived an opportunity and great interest from partners abroad. They joined forces with eight technology parks: Auleda Vlore from Albania, Innovation Center Banja Luka from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Technology Park Varaždin from Croatia, American College of Thessaloniki from Greece, Friulinnovazione from Italy, Business Center Bar from Montenegro, Center for Knowledge Management from Northern Macedonia and Business Incubator Novi Sad from Serbia. The partners cared about the development of entrepreneurial ideas of young people in their countries and selected one of the best teams among the students.
The business models were also created by the participants with the help of POPRI Digital video series. This is online content that helps young people through the process from idea to product using the Lean Entrepreneurship methodology, which is also used by the most successful global start-ups. The contestants prepared the products in writing and presented them orally on the Jura the form of an entrepreneurial PITCH. The Jury consists of prominent entrepreneurs and international experts: Matt Mayfield, Jon Butterfield, Gerion Treska, Ivana Radić, Darko Janković and Mateja Lavrič.
As part of the EUSAIR Forum, Primorska Technology Park also organized a meeting of young people with two successful Slovenian entrepreneurs, Iza Sia Login and Mic Melanšek. In a dynamic and educational discussion led by moderator Sašo Papp, the young people and other participants of the event received a lot of useful information, advice and most importantly knowledge and experience that will benefit them on their career path.
The POPRI International project is supported by European Commission, the EUSAIR Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Government Office for Regional Development and Cohesion Policy and SPIRIT Slovenia. The initiative is also supported by Interact Europe.
Authors: Nik Stojanović, Val Vidmar
Mentors: Janez Gorenc, Simon Jeraj
Author: Blaž Novšak
Mentor: Marjan Hočevar
A two-week virtual course on business modeling, offered by M Accelerator in Los Angeles - the third largest and fastest growing technology ecosystem in the US (prize provided by Primorska Technology Park and M Accelerator)
Authors: Elia Piccoli, Francesco Tonelli
Mentors: Elisa Del Terra, Elisa Micelli
Authors: Darko Savović, Milutin Jovanović.
Mentor: Marko Nišavić
Authors: Mila Projović, Jovan Lazarević, Štefan Mitrović.
Mentor: Aleksandra Gosnjić
Author: Aleksandar Kovač, Nebojša Bogdanović
Mentors: Drago Gverić, Dragana Ilibašić Bajović.
Participation in the conference PODIM - one of the best European events for startups. PODIM will take place online and in Maribor, Slovenia, from 17 to 19 May (the prize will be provided by the PODIM conference).
Authors: Ivan Peshev, Stefan Malinovski, Kristina Popova, Martin Ristoski
Mentor: Liljana Kolovska Dzugomanova
Special prize BORDERLESS: European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorica is awarding a special prize for the most creative and "borderless" idea. (The prize is provided by the Capital of Culture Nova Gorica 2025).
With EUSAIR POPRI youth, Slovenia has also become a recognized country that systematically and consistently develops youth entrepreneurship, combines entrepreneurship and education, thereby empowering young generations.
Competition of business ideas - High-school students and University students from 9 EUSAIR countries
/Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia/
CATEGORY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, CATEGORY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
CLOSED EVENT
“What is a successful business career - how to build it and what challenges you will face?”
Open discussion with Iza Sia Login (Outfit7) & Mic Melanšek (Mali junaki-Hooray Studios)
Presentation of Erasmus for young entrepreneurs’ programme
Premiere of successful business stories video clips powered by Spirit Slovenia
