Balkathon is a regional online competition organised annually by the RCC since 2020. Balkathon 5.0 will focus on fresh, innovative and business-oriented digital ideas and solutions. It is open for teams composed of people up to 35 years of age coming from Western Balkans, and it especially encourages high school teams to apply too. If you are looking to turn your ideas into masterpieces, you are at the right place. Apply with your idea for Balkathon 5.0 and win one of the awards from a €50.000 award pool.
All shortlisted participants get a two-day mentoring programme with experienced experts
Winners get to present their ideas at the Western Balkans Digital Summit
High school students get to compete too for two special recognition awards worth 4.000 euro each
50.000 EUR award fund
Awards fund is 50.000 EUR.
Six best ideas from the Western Balkan economies will be awarded €7.000 each.
Two best ideas by high school students will be awarded €4.000 each.
Networking opportunity
By participating in this competition you will get an opportunity to meet people from the business sector from around the region, representatives of business organisations, and other young people eager to enter the world of entrepreneurship.
Professional mentorship
The organiser has provided highly professional mentors from different areas, such as innovation, ICT, and various types of development, including business development, business environment, entrepreneurship development, project development, project finance, and project implementation. They will be at your disposal for two days to help you develop your idea, and see your potential in the regional market.
Balkathon 5.0 Winners
Special recognition awards are funded by RCC participants from South East Europe.
Komuniteti Team
Komuniteti is an innovative building management platform from Albania that simplifies property administration through a centralized dashboard and eco-friendly features.
Roadzo
Roadzo introduces a groundbreaking renewable energy solution using piezoelectric materials embedded in roadways to transform the mechanical energy from vehicle traffic into electricity. This eco-friendly approach is designed to power public infrastructure, such as streetlights and traffic signals, boosting urban energy efficiency while cutting environmental impact. Currently in development, Roadzo is gearing up for pilot testing, with plans for broader implementation on the horizon.
DARN
DARN is a transformative project aimed at revolutionizing waste management with an intelligent system that optimizes bin collection routes to reduce time, fuel consumption, and environmental impact. By harnessing advanced data analysis and machine learning, DARN provides municipalities and waste management companies with a smart digital solution for timely, efficient waste collection, reducing carbon footprint while improving urban cleanliness.
MyTurn
MyTurn is a gamified mobile app that makes household chores engaging for children, streamlining task management for parents. By integrating features like points, badges, and leaderboards, the app fosters responsibility and teamwork within families. Targeting parents in the Western Balkans, MyTurn is set for global expansion, thanks to its scalable freemium model and robust partnerships.
GENITOR
GENITOR unveils an AI-powered autonomous robotic painting system designed to tackle labor shortages in the construction industry by automating large-scale painting tasks. This innovative solution enhances efficiency, quality, and safety while reducing costs and material waste. Featuring a modular design and an intuitive AR interface, the scalable system is poised for widespread adoption across European markets, backed by strategic partnerships and a team with extensive expertise in robotics and AI. GENITOR aims to revolutionize construction practices and contribute to global sustainability efforts.
LISEC
LISEC is working to create an affordable communication tool for individuals with Locked-in Syndrome (LiS) by using commercially available web cameras to capture eye movement patterns and convert them into words or phrases. This low-cost alternative to traditional eye-tracking technologies increases accessibility for a wider user base. By combining advanced AI techniques with user feedback, LISEC ensures a personalized and reliable communication experience that enhances the quality of life for those affected by LiS.
CyberScore
Team CyberScore from Serbia presents an innovative educational solution that leverages artificial intelligence to analyze data and offer personalized advice to youth regarding their digital footprint and internet safety. The platform features interactive modules and educational materials designed to raise awareness about the long-term consequences of online activities, providing tailored recommendations for safe online behavior. Targeting high school students and educational institutions, this solution aims to enhance digital literacy and empower young people to navigate the online world responsibly.
InnoGirls
Team InnoGirls from Bosnia and Herzegovina introduces a product designed to support health quality maintenance. This versatile solution can be utilized in medical and cosmetic products for hair and skin, as well as in supplements for muscle and bone health, and serves as a natural drug delivery ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry. Notably, the product is derived from pure keratin paste obtained by washing and processing sheep's wool or chicken feathers sourced from local households. The unique salts used in the process are non-toxic and completely safe for the environment, making this innovation both effective and eco-friendly.
DARE
Team DARE from Albania presents IMMAL, an innovative digital platform designed to enhance the mental health of individuals with chronic illnesses by creating a supportive community. Utilizing Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI), the platform detects emotional states through facial expressions, providing users with valuable insights and support. IMMAL offers WHO-certified information, emotional state detection, psycho-emotional games, community chat features, and motivational quotes, creating a comprehensive resource for individuals seeking to improve their emotional well-being in a safe and understanding environment.
Who is eligible?
Competition open to applicants from six Western Balkan economies.
Teams are encouraged to be composed of members residing in more than one Western Balkan economy;
Team members should not be older than 35 years;
Teams competing for the main award are encouraged to be composed of qualified individuals such as students; legal entities including start-ups; and non-governmental and educational institutions;
Teams from high schools can be composed as a group of high school students from the same or different high schools, with the maximum of 7 members.
What's it About
Balkathon 5.0 is looking for fresh, innovative and digital ideas and solutions to optimize the performance of digital transformation in the region. It is important that digital solutions include a clear explanation of implementation and sustainability, and to be business oriented.
Ideas for digital solutions could be proposed in any of the below mentioned fields, and even beyond. Below are some suggestions and examples of ideas for a digital solution related to some of the fields:
Technology of services
Ideas for a solution under this field may be related, but not limited, to AI-based entrepreneurial business ideas (customer services, predictive analysis, automated Data Entry, etc.), e-services & digital tools, blockchain, cybersecurity, etc.
Green and Energy
Ideas for a solution under this field may be related, but not limited, to food waste reduction, plastic-free actions, energy-saving actions, re-use of materials, reduced water usage, solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, waste segregation, etc.
Transport
Ideas for a solution under this field may be related, but not limited, to transport technology and data transmission from one to another digital device and data, transportation of goods at lowest possible cost, optimised transport, etc.
Tourism
Ideas for a solution under this field may be related, but not limited, to marine and coastal, mountain and adventure, health, promotional tourism, food, sustainable mobility (on land and water), etc., which would result in a reduced environmental impact of the tourism industry
Agriculture
Ideas for a solution under this field may be related, but not limited, to agri-food industry, farm/food products, production process, delivery, etc.
Other
Ideas for a solution from any other field that is not covered with the proposed topics, but addresses any need or challenge of communities, business, cities, etc.
What’s new?
Besides overall improvements, Balkathon 5.0 brings a new special category dedicated the youngest innovators. This year Balkathon will award 2 teams of high school students from the Western Balkans with 4.000 EUR each.
Balkathon 5.0 Timeline
21 May – 5 July 2024
Registration
Application deadline
5 July 2024, 12:00 (CET+1)
24 June – 2 July 2024
Balkathon Info Days
in Belgrade, Mostar, Niksic, Novi Sad, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje and Tirana. Click for more info!
5 – 29 July 2024
Evaluation of Applications
We will carefully review all received applications
2 August 2024
Publishing the list of qualified teams
Announcement of the teams that will participate in Balkathon. Up to 18 teams will be selected List of qualified teams
3 October 2024
Final competition and Award Ceremony
Announcement of the winners and awards ceremony
Mentors
Highly professional and experienced mentors from the region will be at your disposal to help you develop your idea.
Ogerta Elezaj
Lecturer of Computer Science in Birmingham City University
Gentjan Skara
Lecturer of EU Law at Department of Law, Beder University College
Viktorija Petrov
Assistant professor at the University of Novi Sad
Milos Todorovic
Milos has 16 years of experience in area of business consulting and non-formal education. He is the owner of two private companies (in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia). He designed and conducted more than 1000 workshops in Balkans region. Milos has been cooperating with more than 200 SMEs in the Western Balkans.
He has excellent knowledge in the following areas:
Organisational consulting,
Process improvements (Lean Six Sigma),
Strategic planning,
Training and coaching in the area of management and sales skills.
He also has expertise in these areas:
Market research,
Different analyses and studies,
Marketing plans, etc.
Ivan Cosic
Ivan Ćosić is the owner of Plain & Hill agency and author of “Još podkast jedan” podcast. He is a designer, a man of ideas, blogger and lecturer at numerous local and regional conferences. He has participated in various creative and marketing jobs, has worked for over thirty global A brands and is the initiator of many internet projects. He is responsible for the design of most WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers) publications, works for the International Science Council and has worked on several startup projects, the most notable being the IndieVoices platform. He believes in the future and the potential that technological entrepreneurship has in Serbia and the region, so he organised, together with his team, "Live locally - work globally" internet conference.
Ogerta Elezaj
Ogerta Elezaj is currently a Computer Science Lecturer at Birmingham City University.
She was a recipient of Alain Bensoussan postdoctoral fellowship from European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics in 2019-2020 and held ERCIM postdoc fellow positions at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Her main fields of competence are artificial intelligence, machine learning applications and big data. She has participated in projects funded by EU Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ programmes. Dr Elezaj has worked for more than eight years at the National Statistics Office in Albania, in the position of IT and Methodology Department Director. Dr Elezaj has also worked as a trainer and consultant for different international organisations such as UNDP, UNFPA, and European Commission.
Gentjan Skara
Genti is a full-time member of the Department of Law at Epoka University (Albania). He teaches EU Law and International Competition Law courses. His research interests include EU law, EU enlargement; competition law; harmonisation of law and digital markets.
Currently, Genti is a Visiting Fellow at Europa Institute at the University of Basel where he is undertaking research on the intersection between competition rules and tech companies. In addition, Genti will teach a seminar course EU Competition Law and Digital Markets to graduate students at Europa Institute.
Besides academic engagement, Genti is a National Legal Expert for EU acquis on Internal Market and Competition with the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs of Albania.
Viktorija Petrov
Viktorija Petrov is an assistant professor at the University of Novi Sad, lecturing undergraduates on the subjects of Microeconomics and master students of Microeconomics Models.
Viktorija also works as a Programme Manager at nStrater and a Business Incubation Assistant at the Business Incubator Novi Sad. Viktorija has participated as a mentor and trainer in several events such as Startup Weekend, UNS Best Business Idea Competition, The Best Technological Innovation Competition, and other entrepreneurship-related competitions.
Through her work, Viktorija actively participates in the development of the Novi Sad start-up ecosystem.
Apply Now!
Before registering, please check the important documents,
where you can find detailed information about the Balkathon competition.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
