Integrating Maker Skills in Innovation Ecosystems
Training and Hackathon “How to monetize a hobby”?
3-day training + hackathon for turning grass root maker skills into business through ad-hoc support
Overview
What has been done
The activity was intended to train young grassroot makers to start their own businesses. It provided three training sessions addressed to 15 selected "makers" (students, startuppers, etc.) to form multidisciplinary teams, for a total of a 24-hour training program. A one-day hackathon followed the training sessions, involving all the students divided into three teams to create their business ideas starting from their own hobbies or desires and using the competences acquired. The winning team was offered 10 hours of specialized consultancy and incubation to validate the project's market opportunity through the Galileo Start Cube institution.
Why was it needed locally
Veneto Region is rich in initiatives and schools that foster innovation, competitiveness and soft skills in business, but only a mere 3–4% of graduates from these curricula go on to establish or immediately join a startup with the official 'innovative' designation. There was the strong needs to support makers, giving them the right tools to compete.
Target Groups: How were they activated and their benefits
Maker space – makers, startuppers, self entrepreneurs
Activation: The target group was activated by means of an open call to gather makers and startuppers through partner official websites and innovation hubs
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Public open call
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Posts on social networks
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News in institutional websites (chamber of commerce, schools...)
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Phone calls
Benefit: Strengthening of transversal skills and soft skills for innovative businesses
Increasing of awareness regarding innovative competences and soft skills for teamworking
Opportunities for partnership and networking
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3 session of free trainings
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opportunity to win 10 hours of free consultancy
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Enhancing competences and soft skills
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Improving competence to create ad hoc business plans for starting a new innovative business
Resources Required
Staff
competences, creative and digital methodology and techniques, access to grass root maker communities, business plan development, mentoring capability
Space
Galileo Visionary District: seminar rooms + auditorium
Equipment
laptop, projector, conference facilities, stationery
Budget
Large: above 10,000 €
Budget of 11500€ covering planning, promotion, venue, staff, equipment, trainers fees, production of media elements for the dissemination
Methods & Steps
Core Mechanism
Formats applied
Training:
Interactive training in 3 sessions:
1-Workshop How to monetize a hobby - innovative businesses and design thinking methodology
2-Workshop Communicating in the team and to the team - Brand strategy and AI tools
3-Workshop on Creativity Toolkits - unlocking creative thinking in teams and social media strategy
Hackathon:
It is a time-bound event where people with different skill sets (developers, designers, project managers, and subject matter experts) collaborate intensively to build a functional prototype of a solution from scratch. Participant teams challenge themselves in 1 day hackaton "How to monetize a hobby". The best business idea will benefit of 10 hours free consultancy from the innovation hub Galileo Start Cube
Methods used: On site challenge: Participants had to work in team for 24 hours straight to create and present their innovative business idea to a jury made by experts and soft skills provider at local level.Steps taken
Promotion of the activity
1 month
- Public call: Publication of an open call for startuppers, makers and young entrepreneurs to participate to the activity, explaining the concept and the steps of the activity. Link to the google form for the registration
- Promotion on web: Publication of posts and news promoting the public call on institutional websites and social media
3 training sessions
24 hours, 3 weeks
- Workshop How to monetize a hobby?: Interactive workshop to approach and experiment the Design Thinking methodology and understand how to apply it to the specific project’s topic. Support and competences on the drafting of a business plan for innovative businesses
- Workshop Communicating in the team and to the team: An interactive workshop to explore and learn collaborative working methods and understand the necessary soft skills to lead a team towards a common goal
- Creativity Toolkits - unlocking creative thinking in teams: An interactive workshop to approach, study and experiment creativity topics and digital tools to realize and prototype ideas.
1 day Hackathon
1 day
- Pitch of the business ideas: The three teams of makers presented their idea in a 5 minute pitch in English, with the aim of convincing the jury on the sustainability of their would-be business
- Evaluation and award: The Jury, composed by representatives of around 15 regional soft skills providers, voted the most significant team, which idea could be brought into the market and they awarded the team with 10 hours free consultancy from Galileo Start Cube
Results
Measurable and Direct Outcomes
The local action brought about the following concrete results:
- Improved maker skills: The first part of the activity was entirely dedicated to the training of the makers in 3 different innovative topics (Design Thinking, Brand Strategy and AI tools and Social Media Strategy)
- Improved entrepreneurial / pioneer skills: The two activities foreseen in this action encouraged participants to step out of their confort zone, by putting in practices communication skills, teamworking, personal branding, problem solving and other transversal skills
- Business models: Drafting at least 3 different business models to develop the innovative businesses participating in the hackathon."
Indirect Impacts
Participants successfully built peer-to-peer synergies, laying the groundwork for collaborative future projects. For the winners, the journey continues with specialized consultancy prizes designed to transform their ideas into market-ready businesses. Promoted and sponsored by the Padua Chamber of Commerce, the hackathon's final ceremony acted as a major spotlight, boosting visibility and institutional prestige for SID and the Galileo Visionary District.
Local Outlook / Follow-up
- Inputs for the regional action plan: In agreement with regional stakeholders, we will include the lessons learned coming from the pilot experiences in the regional action plan
- Integrate the training session: The training will be included in the curricula of the Italian School of Design - Galileo Visionary District
Evaluation
Satisfaction - Overview
All participants were very satisfied: the winner team "Pink Moon" was enthusiastic to have the opportunity of a 10 hours free consultancy for implementing their business idea. The other participants have enjoyed very much the training sessions and also the work together in the hackaton, although their idea did not reach the top note.
Also the jury consisting of local soft skills provider was very engaged and eager to discover new possible talents and opportunities for networking
Satisfaction - Details
- 15 grass root makers successfully trained: Almost all participants expressed their satisfaction for the 3 free training sessions were experts offers them the possibility to train deeper into innovative topics. It has been asked if this kind of "intensive and participatory training could be repeated again during the year
- 1 Team (Pink moon) benefitted of 10 hours of free consultancy: The complimentary advisory sessions proved to be a major driver of success. Numerous entrepreneurs and makers poured their hearts into the challenge, striving to turn their passion projects into a tangible reality."
Transfer Hints
- Training course: Flexible and interactive training sessions on the most challenging and interesting aspects of future businesses
- Hackhaton: Unlike a lecture, a hackathon forces participants to apply theoretical knowledge to a real-world problem immediately. This hands-on approach significantly increases information retention and helps participants bridge the gap between "knowing" and "executing."
- Customization of training contents: According to the participants you gather, to the level and background of their previous education, training topics can be adapted or improved
- Adaptability of the training structure: The length and the scope of the hackhaton can vary according to the needs of the activity, including the number of teams involved and the award for the winner
- Users involvement: On the basis of the activity you are performing, you can choose to use a public call for involving participants, or the same activity can be performed in a school or a university, involving only their students
- Lack of promotional activities: Begin participant recruitment at least one or two months in advance of the scheduled activities
- Waning participant interest during the activity: Provide a detailed overview of the activity at the beginning, highlighting that active involvement from all participants is essential for reaching optimal outcomes.
Participant Testimonials & Impressions
Impressions
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Contact: Luisa Previati
Phone: +39 3420711765
Email: luisa.previati@vepromex.it
Need more information?
Project manager:
Franziska Görmar
IfL - Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany
Email
This project is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund.
Find more information about the x-Inno Radar project on the Interreg CE projectwebsite.
x-Inno Radar is a project of: 
Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria Gmbh, 
The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Karlovy Vary Region, 
Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture, 
Creative Industry Košice, n. o., 
BSC, Business support centre, ltd., Kranj, 
Regional Development Agency in Bielsko-Biała, 
Stebo Competence Centre Community Developmentm, 
Association of Cultural and Creative Industries Chemnitz and Region (Creative Chemnitz), Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography – Germany, Otelo Cooperative