Inspiring young innovators concluded a "Week of Blue Challenge"

Within I&E Center of the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor of the University of Montenegro, a competition was organized for students and young innovators from Montenegro and Albania in the period from November 23 until 29, 2022 as part of the Erasmus + BLUEWBC project ("Sustainable development of Blue economies through higher education and innovation in Western Balkan Countries").
During the five-day event, over 80 students had the opportunity to hear presentations about startups, innovative solutions in the blue economy sectors, the experiences of guest lecturers about innovation funds, the beginnings of entrepreneurship, as well as to work with their supervisors on the preparation of conceptual solutions in the I&E Center. On the last day of the event at the Hotel Cattaro in Kotor, the final competition was held, which included presentations of conceptual solutions by students and young innovators. At the competition, students of the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor and the partner University "Ismail Qemali" Vlora gave their presentations in English. A total of 20 teams submitted their ideas within the "Week of Blue Challenge".
The evaluation of the submitted ideas was carried out by a five-member commission headed by the president Prof. Dr. Danilo Nikolic, who praised the participants' work and expressed his satisfaction with the concepts presented and the excellent knowledge of the English language of students from our faculty and the partner University "Ismail Qemali" Vlora. At the end of the event, the teams of students and young innovators who won the first three prizes were announced.

Winners of the competition for students and young innovators

The first place was won by students of the third year of undergraduate studies (study program Navigation and Maritime Transport and Maritime Management and Logistics): Jelisaveta Krvavac, Milos Zivkovic, Tilia Lazarevic and Igor Popovic, who presented an idea called "Application of TOBII glasses in the maritime education process" , prepared under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Danilo Nikolic, and who were awarded the two-day "Design thinking" training program from the company B-solutions doo from Tivat. The second place was won by students of the second year of the master study from the Maritime Science study program, Nemanja Pudar, Lazar Mrdovic and Jaksa Medojevic, who presented an idea called "Application of solar energy as an alternative source for the production of electricity on ships", under the mentorship of Doc. Dr. Martin Calasan, and who were awarded a one-day training on 3D printers and a 3D scanner at the I&E Center. The third place was won by students of the third year of undergraduate studies of the study program Navigation and Maritime Transport, Nikola AbramoviC, Saban Mandzukic, Lazar Hrastinski, Ajdin Nikezic and Dorde Mugosa, who presented an idea entitled "Oil spill in the sea - removal methods", under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Danilo Nikolic, and who were awarded a one-day training on Tobii glasses at the I&E Center. A special award was presented by the committee to a group of undergraduate and master's students from the partner University "Ismail Qemali" Vlora, consisting of Laura Allushaj, Denis Demaj, Arlind Kojani and Dhimiter Reza, who presented an idea called "Innovation and competition for development of the blue economy" under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Kristofor Lapa. The candidates were awarded a one-day training on 3D printers and a 3D scanner at the I&E Center of the University "Ismail Qemali" Vlora. The co-organizers of the event were the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Technopolis Niksic. Support in the implementation of the international competition was provided by the representatives of the University "Ismail Qemali" Vlora Prof. Dr. Kristofor Lapa and Suard Alizoti and Mr. Tomor Harizi of the General Maritime Directorate from Durres. In addition, representatives of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, as well as the companies J Consulting Group doo and B-solutions doo supported the event with their active participation. A "Week of Blue Challenge" and the I&E Center marked the final year of implementation of the BLUEWBC project. Such events, which will be organized at the I&E Center, and will represent the results of the sustainability of the project in the years to come.

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