Transformation Lighthouse is a team of professional and crazy people who like technology and innovation, but strive towards a better society that will put people first. Let’s meet Martin Jarc, Transformation Alchimist of the company who will be in charge of creating Hackathons for the EU DigiTOUR Project.
Hello, Martin! Thank you for joining us today. Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and Transformation Lighthouse?
Of course! I'm Martin, and I've been with Transformation Lighthouse for the past five years since 2013. Urška Jez, the founder of ABC accelerator, gave her energy to found this amazing reality! Our main focus is on business development programs that help companies transform their culture and change the way they approach things.
That sounds interesting. Could you provide some more details on the specific projects and initiatives that you work on?
Absolutely! One of our projects involves creating self-sufficient teams through hackathons, which serve as an entry point for innovation and change. It's like an innovation marathon! Over the weekend, we bring together individuals from different backgrounds, including startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other industries, and allow them to collaborate and create.
That sounds like a great opportunity for startups and SMEs to work together. Can you tell us more about how hackathons play a role in your work?
Hackathons are a part of our daily business at Transformation Lighthouse. We organize hackathons to connect different sectors and facilitate learning from one another. Traditional companies can learn how to move fast in specific directions and be proactive when addressing new markets. We provide them with the opportunity to work with startups and learn how to incorporate elements of startup culture into their organizations. It's a way to join forces from both worlds.
During hackathons, we also involve students from high schools, introducing them to the job world and entrepreneurship. It serves as their first contact and encourages forward-thinking. We have seen successful projects built together through this approach.
Now, let's focus on the European project EUDigiTOUR. Can you explain its objectives and how it aims to benefit SMEs and startups?
As part of the European project EU DigiTOUR, we connect startups with SMEs to encourage collaboration and the development of new innovative solutions for digitalization programs. We start with a three to six-month program where we pump up brainstorming sessions and product ideas to form minimum viable products (MVPs). The aim is to test these MVPs in the market.
The main objective of EU DigiTOUR is to help SMEs with real design change problems by connecting them with startups and people who can find innovative solutions. We want to recognize around 75% of the challenges faced by SMEs and address them. At the same time, we allow startups to understand how they can improve and identify potential revenue points.
The role of SMEs in EU DigiTOUR is to guide participants in the direction they want to go, while startups offer different options and ways to achieve those goals. It's about diving deeper into the challenges and exploring how to overcome them. The project is active in Italy, Croatia/Slovenia, and Germany.
Finally, could you share the overall objectives of your work at EU DigiTOUR?
Our main objective is to empower teams to create products that solve the pain points of SMEs. We often start at the design stage and, once the funding is secured, help them progress to a more advanced level. The idea is to provide the initial support and financial resources to help SMEs take their first step and grow from there.
Thank you, Martin, for sharing such insightful information about Transformation Lighthouse at the European project EU DigiTOUR. It's clear that your work plays a significant role in fostering innovation and collaboration between startups and SMEs. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success with your endeavors.
Thank you for having me. It was my pleasure to share our work, and I hope it inspires others to embrace innovation and collaboration for positive change.
THE EU DigiTOUR Project 2021-2024
info@eudigitour.eu
Co-funded by the COSME Programme
of the European Union
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