Can we solve an effective and sustainable social problem through SOCIAL INNOVATION? This question was answered by Gabrovo Innovation Camp 2018, which took place from 4 to 6 October in Gabrovo. The event was organized by the Regional Information Center – Gabrovo and the Municipality of Gabrovo, and the House of Humor and Satire was chosen as the venue for the event to provoke the participants to unusual and bold ideas.
More than 100 participants were involved in the initiative, which considered and offered solutions in 6 separate challenges, divided into working groups and led by mentors from the country and abroad.
“Business and Social Innovations”, in which pupils, students, university lecturers, representatives of the Municipality of Gabrovo, non-governmental organizations in different fields participated, as well as a representative of Karin Dom – Veneta Mileva (Marketing and Communications Specialist), created a project – concept for a game and a festival to promote communication between various groups of participants in the labor market and lead to higher employment and efficiency. The project aimed to involve people from vulnerable groups, parents of children with special needs, students and retirees who want to participate in the labor market on flexible working hours. The concept of the team was also to create an interactive space for quicker and easier access to specialized training and qualification of the job seekers to meet the modern needs of the business and to improve the quality of life of the people.
“The Silver Economy” group came up with the idea of the Silver Gabrovo platform and a silver phone to help people develop after their retirement and not exclude them from social life and the labor market. According to their data, 39,000 people are currently employed in the Gabrovo region, and after 10 years, 16,400 people will leave the economy, while only half of it will be flooded.
“Green Innovation” group has come up with three products – an art bottle for mineral water for multiple use which will reduce plastic in our daily lives and, at the same time, with its use, a person gets different bonuses, such as discounts for tickets for cultural events; a city transport system including ecological small electric buses, who will work all day and night, and a smart bucket.
“Education of the Future” united around focusing and subtracting the individual abilities and talents of each child through mentors – professionals in different fields PRO100!
“The Young People in Social Innovation” presented a workshop for ideas with two projects with a Capoeira School and the MYC – Mini Youth City with a Challenge Platform.
“Urban Branding and Urban Environment” showed interesting associations, strengths and weaknesses and directions for the future work on the urban branding of Gabrovo. A cheerful green city where you hear the river and the bells and smell of a forest with the most recognizable people Christo and Crisco. This showed the poll of the group, which aimed to show the first associations of people for Gabrovo. The words that describe it are ambition, inventiveness, creativity, naturality, tradition, entrepreneurship.
The event was opened by the Mayor of the town Tanya Hristova and Denitsa Sacheva – Deputy Minister of Education and Science. A special guest was Markou Markoula, First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions.
Photos: Gabrovo Municipality