Open Innovation & Digital Transformation in Practice
made in Greece for startups, businesses and organizations
The Greek Innovation Community meets private and public sector businesses and organizations
Since 2012, we have been helping organizations approach innovation based on the challenges, opportunities, goals, and resources they have. When it comes to innovation, people, their ideas and the ways in which they work together to create are of the utmost importance. What is changing because of digital technology is the speed, scale and impact of innovative products and services on different markets and our lives.
At Crowdpolicy, we grasp all the aspects of innovation and help our partners achieve it in a personalized way. We focus on the ecosystem of each organization (executives, partners, customers) and the networks created, we select the technologies to be used together, and we collaborate on innovative practices, methodologies and toolkits that affect or will affect the functioning of the organization.
Since 2015, we have implemented 27 innovation marathons (crowdhackathons) for the private and public sectors in a wide range of thematic areas such as fintech, insurtech, agrifood, transport, tourism, egovernment, green and sustainability, industry 4.0 and more.
Our service toolkit includes all the components for an integrated approach to open innovation ranging from bootcamps, crowdhackathons, innovation labs and accelerators to IT Tools supporting open innovation services.
Bootcamp: Bootcamp is an appealing way of communicating and collaborating with the creative communities that the organization wants to stay in touch with. Bootcamp day features presentations describing the thematic areas and preparing the teams to present a proposal, as well as a quick mentoring session for designing, adapting, and developing each team’s ideas. The day closes with the presentations, evaluation and award of the best ideas. Duration: 12 hours.
Crowdhackathon:So far, we have held 24 successful crowdhackathons on various thematic areas. Crowdhackathons are two-day innovation marathons engaging young developers, designers, entrepreneurs, students and anyone interested in the relevant digital pilot applications (POCs). They are ideal for organizations wishing to reach a wider audience of creators to achieve open innovation. Our comparative advantage is that we are able to handle technology so as to achieve the creation of truly functional prototypes. Duration: 2–3 days.
Innovation Lab: It is a permanent open innovation structure that implements a long-term collaboration program with creative communities of interest to the organization as well as annual related actions, develops and provides toolkits and infrastructures for the “internal and external” teams with which it collaborates. As with any unit of an organization it has goals — specific deliverables and results. Duration: 4–5 months.
Digital Toolkits (IT Tools): They support the digital transformation of organizations through collaboration with innovative teams. They include development and experimentation Sandbox, a developers portal and a Software Development Kit in different sectors of the economy.
Our comparative advantage is the extensive Proof of Concept Portfolio we support, with over 500 teams — startup companies, as we have networked with over 2,000 developers and 5,000 participants through the Crowdhackathons we have organized so far.
We can identify the PoCs that fit each organization fast and directly and promote participation and synergies.
Our recent actions:
TAP2Open bootcamp
On September 7th and 8th, 2019 we held at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki the two-day innovation competition TAP 2 Open Bootcamp with the aim of developing innovative applications to improve the experience of visitors to archaeological sites and museums, attended by more than 25 teams. The event was honored by the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who attended the panel discussion and gave a brief talk on the importance of digital transformation in the reorganization of the country. As he stated: “I am particularly pleased with this extroversion demonstrated by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which shows that our perception of culture is not a concept that focuses only on the past. Culture should focus on the past, because it has to do with the protection of our cultural heritage, but at the same time we should look to the future. Culture is wealth. We can give our visitors the opportunity to have access to the Greek cultural reserve from anywhere in the world thus enhancing tourism.”
Go4Green Crowdhackathon
In December, we organized Go 4.0 Green Crowdhackathon, the first innovation marathon on Energy and Environment, of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, awarded the winners of the Innovation Competition, stating: “We need young people to actively participate in our effort to build a new Greece. This competition combines Innovation, the Environment and young people who come up with smart ideas to help us and our children live in a better environment. Young people are the main asset of our country. “
Industry 4.0 Now
Moreover, in December we organized industry 4.0 NOW crowdhackathon, the 1st Innovation Marathon on the digital transformation of industry, for the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.
Industry 4.0 NOW crowdhackathon is an open innovation initiative of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises and aims to bring the ecosystem of innovation and startups closer to industry in order to explore opportunities and scenarios for the digital transformation and growth of Greek businesses.
What’s coming in January
The call for the submission of applications for the 2nd cycle of Visa Innovation Program will be announced in January. Visa Innovation Program works as a collaborative platform bringing startups and VISA partners together to create new payment applications for the local market, businesses and public entities, thus providing new payment experiences that contribute to the national economy and development. The companies participating in the program have access to a wide range of consultants, experts, trainers, and the global Visa network, while receiving support in business planning, functional prototype development, developing, collaborations with banks, etc
More information is available at https://www.crowdpolicy.com/innovation-program/.
City Challenge Crowdhackathon Smartcity 2 — Watch the video
You can find more information about the open innovation actions of Crowdpolicy at crowdpolicy.com/oi as well as on social media at facebook.com/crowdpolicy.
