POPRI EUSAIR Youth, the esteemed international competition fostering entrepreneurial innovation among young talents across the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region, concluded on a high note, celebrating the outstanding achievements of the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Following two days of intense competition and innovation, we are thrilled to announce the winners of the Youth Business Model Competition. The top three teams from both the high school and university categories have demonstrated exceptional creativity, vision, and commitment to addressing societal challenges through entrepreneurial endeavours.
ReGlass, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Team members: Lidija Volf and Eva Kuruzović
Mentors: Neda Vasić, Suzana Gotovac Atlagić
Idea: ReGlass tackles the issue of glass waste by collecting and transforming it into high-quality, decolorized cullet used for producing glass jars, especially for the food industry. The process involves manganese dioxide to remove color, enhancing the glass’s value and closing the loop from waste to finished product.
Risonic, North Macedonia
Team members: Sara Nikolova, Velincho Kjitanov, Mia Andreeva & Matea Sazdova
Roza Vojnovska & Snezhana Jordanova
Mentors: Gosho Vikentiev
Idea: Risonic is a sustainable, chemical-free cleaning paste made from rice husk – a natural and biodegradable solution ideal for eco-conscious households, families with children, and people with sensitive skin.
Smart Net, Slovenia
Team members: Urška Medved, Nika Stepančič
Mentors: Urška Božič
Idea:
Smart Net is an innovative volleyball net that lights up when a player touches it, helping referees make more accurate decisions while preserving the game atmosphere.
INAMINUTE, Serbia
Team members: Miljana Ristic, Anja Gasparevic and Jelisaveta Ikodinovic
Mentors: /
Idea:
INAMINUTE develops nutritious, allergen-free food products using indigenous Serbian plum varieties. Their dehydrated porridge and bars are made from plum pulp – a by-product of the food industry – turning waste into functional food.
PEAKBEATS, Slovenia
Team members: Lana Rakovec
Mentors:/
Idea:
PeakBeats is fitness software that adapts music in real-time to a user’s biometric data (heart rate, pace, intensity). It integrates with wearables and fitness platforms to boost workout motivation and efficiency via a B2B SaaS model.
Inno Go, Greece
Team members: Christos Papanastasiou, Stergios Chaitoglou, Emmanouil Doxastakis. Emmanouil Polychronakis, Ioanna Theodosiou
Mentors: Nikolaos Sifakis
Idea: Inno Go offers innovative urban mobility solutions, automating transport services for smarter, more sustainable cities.
These winning teams have not only showcased their entrepreneurial excellence but have also earned an exclusive opportunity to participate in SMARTCITY HACK, a dynamic innovation hackathon focusing on urban energy transformation.
SMARTCITY HACK will bring together high school and university winning teams to tackle the critical challenge of achieving net-zero buildings and creating smarter, greener cities. Participants will collaborate with industry mentors, technology experts, and policy innovators to prototype solutions that will shape the sustainable urban environments of tomorrow.
Organized by Danfoss Slovenia and supported by SPIRIT Slovenia and the EUSAIR Facility Point, SMARTCITY HACK is part of the Interreg IPA ADRION project and will take place in Nova Gorica, the European Capital of Culture 2025.
"We are immensely proud of all the participants and congratulate the winning teams for their outstanding achievements," said Tanja Kožuh, CEO of Primorska Technology Park, the main organizer of POPRI EUSAIR Youth. "Their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit are truly inspiring and demonstrate the immense potential of youth-led initiatives in driving positive change."
One of the POPRI EUSAIR Youth events was attended by the Minister for cohesion and regional development Dr Aleksander Jevšek. In his speech the invited young people to use EUSAIR as a springboard to acquire new knowledge and broaden their horizons by looking beyond the borders of their countries and then tapping into newly acquired knowledge upon return home. He mentioned that EUSAIR POPRI initiative, is an excellent example of collaboration of young entrepreneurs from the 10 EUSAIR participating countries.
POPRI EUSAIR Youth continues to serve as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation, fostering collaboration and creativity among young talents across the region. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this event.
