The 4BIZ project was showcased successfully at the 12th Festival of Innovative Projects “Sikorsky Challenge 2023”, held in Kyiv from October 24 to 27. The Festival provided a unique opportunity for SMEs and startups in the blue economy sector across the Blue Sea region to come together, collaborate, and tap into the wealth of knowledge available at this international event.
The Sikorsky Challenge Festival, established in 2012 by the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” (a partner of the 4BIZ consortium), is an annual multi-day gathering. It attracts participants from various sectors, both in person and online, serving as a platform for diverse stakeholders, including investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, government officials, and students. This event facilitates discussions, showcases innovations, and fosters networking. With a global reach, the Festival draws attendees and representatives from Ukraine and beyond, highlighting the significance of collaboration and innovation in generating fresh ideas and cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange.
An integral aspect of the Festival is the Startup Projects Competition, where teams of innovators, many of whom received training and mentoring through the “Sikorsky Challenge” Startup School Network, present their projects to an international jury board and potential investors. This year’s Startup Projects Competition garnered 200 applications, from which 130 were selected to compete in the finals. The competing startup projects were categorized into the following sections:
- Aviation and space
- Infrastructure and industrial high-tech
- Information technologies, digitalization, and cybersecurity
- Biomedical engineering and human health
- Environmental and energy security
- Blue Economy (Maritime Transport, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Coastal and Maritime Tourism)
The “Blue Economy” pitch session, which took place on October 25, was preceded by a general presentation of the 4BIZ project, delivered by its coordinator, Prof. Eden Mamut of BSUN. Notably, the 2023 edition of the Festival attracted a record number of guests, with 710 on-site and 150 online participants from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the USA, the UK, Israel, Japan, and several other countries, ensuring a wide and diverse audience for the 4BIZ project.
Overall, the “Blue Economy” section featured ten innovative projects pitched by partners of the 4BIZ project: seven projects from Ukraine, two from Bulgaria (presented by Galera 07 Ltd and Solumar Ltd.), and one from Romania (presented by Severnav SA Drobeta Turnu Severin). From the Ukrainian competitors, the jury selected the project “Protection of the critical infrastructure of the coastal seabed area” as the winner of the Blue Economy section. This project, presented by Prof. Nataliia Zuievska from the Department of Geoengineering at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, focuses on developing a system for identifying the characteristics of the seabed and underwater objects. Its primary goal is to enable the early detection and prediction of geoanomalies that could jeopardize the integrity of vital underwater infrastructure. Additionally, Ukrainian Blue Economy projects also competed in the “Infrastructure and Industrial High-Tech” section, and the “PROPER BOATS – a Heavy-Duty HDPE Flotilla” project by Oleksandr Kushnyriov from Mykolaiv won the jury’s vote in the “Best Solution to a Problem” nomination.Caption: Organizing Committee of the of the 4BIZ Discussion Panel on Blue Economy
Another 4BIZ-focused event within the “Sikorsky Challenge 2023” Festival was the Blue Economy Discussion Panel. This Panel provided a platform for members of the 4BIZ consortium and their SME partners to present the key achievements of the 4BIZ project, showcase collaborative projects, discuss their experiences working in the Blue Economy sector in their respective countries, and share success stories from blue businesses.
The Panel was moderated by the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute team and included the following keynote speeches:
- “Boosting Blue Businesses in the Black Sea Region – Outcomes of the 4BIZ Regional Report” (Bucharest University of Economic Studies),
- “Black Sea Accelerator for Sustainable Blue economy” (Marine Cluster Bulgaria),
- “Comparative Analysis of the situation of Business Frameworks on Blue Economy between Black Sea and other EU Sea Basins” (International Center for Black Sea Studies),
- “Presentation of the AI SENSOR MAPPING project by Marine Design Engineering Mykolaiv LLC” (Ukraine Maritime Cluster),
- “Implementing Blue Economy projects in Türkiye” (Doğu Karadeniz Kalkınma Ajansı, Politek Construction; Food & Fisheries Industry and Trade Incorporated Company; and Kuzuoğlu Fisheries Industry and Trade Incorporated Company),
- “Supporting SMEs from Romania (South East Region) in the process of EFQM certification of their business in the tourism sector in the context of the project EXCELTOUR BSB 874” (Galati Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture).
All presentations from the Discussion Panel are available for viewing here: https://ipd.kpi.ua/en/sch-biz-2023-eng/
Amidst the challenges faced by Ukraine, including the ongoing war waged by Russia, the 12th Festival of Innovative Projects “Sikorsky Challenge 2023” in Kyiv successfully transpired without any interruptions due to air raid alerts. The global audience that gathered at the Festival, including partners of the 4BIZ project, underlines the importance of collaboration, innovation, and cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange, even in challenging times. Despite adversity, events like “Sikorsky Challenge” and projects like 4BIZ continue to foster fresh ideas and strengthen international bonds, providing hope for a brighter future.
*This Project has received funding from the European Union’s European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) under Grant Agreement 101077576.
**Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
