BioBoosters - Boosting the circular transition
BioBoosters

Võiste Hackathon Welcomes Innovators to Transform Biomass into Valuable Resources

22 February 2024
February 16, 2024 - Võiste Greenhouse, the largest tomato producer in Estonia, is excited to announce the launch of Võiste Hackathon – Mining the Green Gold from Greenhouse Biomass. With a commitment to sustainability and circular economy, Võiste Hackathon is looking for new technologies, innovative solutions, and partnerships that can turn horticultural residue biomass into valuable resources.
Technical details

 

At the opening webinar and launching the call for the Võiste Hackathon on February 15th, Mirko Metsaoru, the owner of Võiste Greenhouse announced that the company is seeking economically feasible ways to increase its circular transition by valorizing horticultural residue biomass. The company welcomes both on-site and off-site solutions, with a focus on sustainable practices and local, renewable sources. The goal is to not only contribute through the end product, but also to valorize residual flows and close material cycles in collaboration with other sectors.

According to Mirko Metsaoru, the solutions will be evaluated based on their innovativeness, economic viability, technical feasibility, environmental impact, valorization potential, and compliance with regulatory requirements in Estonia.

The Võiste Hackathon is open to all innovators, including individuals, entrepreneurs, student start-ups, and academic/scientific/research entities. Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply before the March 22 deadline. By participating in the Võiste Hackathon, innovators will have the chance to establish cooperation, network with specialists, test ideas, and gain international recognition.

This BioBoosters hackathon is organised in cooperation with Pärnu County Development Centre and an international partnership with nine bioeconomy innovation hubs around the Baltic Sea Region. For more details about the Võiste Hackathon process and challenge related topics, interested individuals and organizations are welcome to reach out to Svea Uusen at Pärnu County Development Centre (svea@parnumaa.ee) or Mirko Metsaoru at Võiste Greenhouse (mirko.metsaoru@gmail.com).

Join us in shaping the sustainable future for the horticulture industry!

Additional information:

For further information about the Võiste Hackathon and to submit an application, please visit: https://parnukobar.ee/voiste-hackathon-mining-the-green-gold-from-greenhouse-biomass/

The opening webinar, introducing the Võiste Hackathon open call, also featured presentations by Reelika Rätsep (Phd), Scientific Researcher at Estonian University of Life Sciences, on the topic of „Extracting Value from Biomass“, as well as „Upcycling for a better plate?“ by Mariliis Mia Topp, Co-Founder @ Raw Edge and „The BioBoosters hackathon concept“ by Anna Aalto from Jyväskylä University of Applied Science. The opening webinar can be viewed in full here: https://fb.watch/qePyMG1g76/