VOCO Green Hackathon teams presented sustainable solutions to real-life problems
The first Green Hackathon at Tartu Vocational College, held on November 4, brought together over 100 vocational students to develop innovative solutions for real-life challenges. The hackathon took place as part of the “Baltic Green Leadership” project.
Tartu Association of Local Governments presented the hackathon participants with the issue of small home-appliance circulation, Coats Estonia sought new ways to recycle zipper waste from production, and Estonian Agricultural Museum looked for sustainable solutions for utilising seasonal crops.
To address these challenges, students formed teams and developed fresh, sustainability-focused ideas. The teams were supported by experienced mentors from the business and sustainability fields who guided and assisted them in creating sustainable business models. Throughout the day, sessions were held on generating business ideas, developing business models, and prototyping solutions. By the end of the day, teams were required to pitch their solutions.
The lead organizer, teacher Mariliis Maremäe, commented that the Green Hackathon was an excellent example students involvement and collaboration in every aspect. “We had outstanding cooperation with companies who came to seek solutions to their problems, excellent mentors from both within the school and outside, and students who joined us not only from VOCO but also from Räpina School of Horticulture and Tartu Art School. I was especially pleased to see the young participants forming mixed teams and stepping out of their comfort zones. Everyone was engaged through the long day and offered solutions worth further development.”
The hackathon jury included Viljam Viljasoo, Business Consultant at Tartu Business Advisory Service; Villem Lõbu, Project Manager at the Tartu Association of Local Governments; Ilze Salnaja-Värv, Head of Exhibitions and Education at the Estonian Agricultural Museum; Vitali Tkatšuk, Production Engineer at Coats Estonia; and Mariliis Maremäe, business teacher at VOCO. Based on the jury’s decision, three prizes and two special awards were given out.
First place went to the team Ringlus, which proposed creating a sharing economy application to rent out small home appliances and other short-term use items.
Second place went to the team Maheamps, which proposed producing vegetable chips from crops to sell at the Agricultural Museum. They also suggested a mystery pack idea to increase playfulness and user experience.
Third place went to the team Wrap&Zip, which created packaging from zipper and textile waste to promote greater textile recycling.
In addition, two special awards were given for best pitch and realistic community project. The top teams from the hackathon will go on to compete in an international competition held in Latvia in March.
The hackathon was supported by the Erasmus+ cooperation project “Baltic Green Leadership,” which aims to increase green skills among vocational students.