On October 21, we held the final multiplier event for the ProHackin’ project. We presented the project outcomes and product hackathon methodology to Erasmus+ students, showcasing how this approach can support engineers in product development. The students were encouraged to apply these methods independently in their design and other engineering courses, with the aim to improve their practical learning experiences. The event concluded with an engaging discussion on hackathons, where participants shared their own insights and experiences with this learning format.

We exchange ideas and motivate young students to participate in future hackathons to develop their ideas. Professor Nikola Vukašinović gave a lecture titled “Hackathons as an Opportunity to Foster High School Students’ Creativity” for curious students participating in the summer research camp at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana. Educators and industry professionals see hackathons as an important part of the learning ecosystem that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Hackathons are becoming increasingly popular and are key to nurturing the creative potential of university students, preparing them for a dynamic and technology-driven world.

The DESIGN 24 conference in Cavtat aims to bring together design professionals and enthusiasts to explore the latest trends and innovations in the field. It serves as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing and presentation of innovative projects.

At this conference, the concept and methodology of Pro Hackin’ was introduced to a wider academic and industry audience. They found this type of educational ecosystem particularly interesting, which further fostered collaboration and inspiration among the participants. https://www.designconference.org

Yesterday’s hackathon, part of the PRO HACKIN’ project funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ program, was a dynamic showcase of creativity and collaboration, underscoring the incredible power of cross-pollination, idea sharing, and open discussion to generate novel solutions.

Held at RLab in the vibrant MIND Milano Innovation District, the event brought together bright minds from four prestigious universities: University of Ljubljana, CADLab @ FMENA Zagreb, Dipartimento di Meccanica – Politecnico di Milano, and Technische Universität Wien. These students, brimming with fresh ideas and enthusiasm, developed innovative projects that pushed the boundaries of conventional thinking.

Guided by the expertise of the RLab team, including coaches, professors Niccolò Becattini, Stanko Škec, Nikola Vukasinovic, and Manfred Grafinger, the participants engaged in intense collaboration to co-design and develop solutions aimed at tackling real-world challenges. The atmosphere was electric with creativity as students worked tirelessly to refine and present their cutting-edge ideas.

This full-day event was a testament to the transformative power of multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approaches in driving innovation and shaping the future of technology and appliances. The hackathon not only highlighted the students’ talent but also demonstrated how diverse perspectives can converge to create groundbreaking solutions.

We express our gratitude to our industrial partner Rold for their invaluable insights, assistance, and mentorship, as well as to our colleagues from Politecnico di Milano for organizing the visit.

New ProHackin’ industrial student project with industrial partner ROLD has started and is successfully running. Students already participated at the company and project assignment presentation, and received several lectures about the first stages of the project. After that the students were distributed in four different virtual teams and generated plentiful of ideas during the first two-days long virtual product hackaton and today presented these ideas to the company representatives.

We’re thrilled to announce a great news in the Erasmus+ Pro Hackin’ project this year: the addition of Rold, an Italy based company renowned for its innovative and technological components in household appliances, as our new industrial partner.

Rold has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the home appliance industry with its cutting-edge solutions for washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, and cookers. As one of the first tenants of Milano Innovation District (MIND), Rold has established itself within the dynamic ecosystem of R-Lab—an Innovation and Applied Research Laboratory dedicated to fostering collaboration among researchers, universities, companies, and experts to drive forward-thinking advancements in various domains.

In this exciting collaboration, Rold has presented an intriguing design challenge for the students participating in our project: to reimagine impellers in horizontal axis washing machines, enhancing their functionalities to address current unmet needs.

This partnership not only underscores our commitment to fostering innovation but also provides an invaluable opportunity for students to engage directly with industry leaders, tackle real-world challenges, and contribute to the future of appliances, through product hackathons.

Stay tuned as we embark on this journey of innovation and exploration with Rold, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in appliance design and functionality! 🚀✨

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the second hackathon for the ProHackin’ project, held in collaboration with Rimac Technology at their headquarters in Zagreb on 22nd of April! The hackathon, a part of the project-based design course ProHackin’ 2023, brought together students from four European universities, showcasing their skills and groundbreaking ideas. This extraordinary event was organized by the University of Zagreb, with Rimac Technology serving as the esteemed industrial partner and host.

By fostering collaboration and embracing diverse perspectives, the student teams worked relentlessly over a 12-hour hackathon to tackle the conceptual phase of product development. Their ultimate challenge was to propose a minimum of three cutting-edge concepts for the future sidewalk vehicle. Throughout the hackathon, students were putting into practice the newly learnt design methods and engineering tools, and were mentored by academical coaches from participating universities.

The technical experts from Rimac played an integral role as the industrial partner, offering invaluable support and guidance to the participants during the event. Their expertise and commitment were instrumental in ensuring the hackathon’s success and the overall progression of this year’s design challenge.

Congratulations to all the participants, professors, and team coaches who contributed to the resounding success of this hackathon. Your dedication and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring.

Welcome to the latest update on the ERASMUS+ Pro Hackin’ project! This year, we are excited to introduce Rimac Technology as our industrial partner for the course, which is set to begin this March.

The Pro Hackin’ course is a unique opportunity for students from four leading European universities – TU Wien, Politecnico di Milano, University of Ljubljana, and the University of Zagreb – to collaborate with Rimac Technology on the development of a brand-new product, a hyper-performing small personal electric vehicle. This is a chance for students to gain hands-on experience of working on real-world problems, as well as a fantastic example of the benefits of collaboration between industry and universities.

During the course, students will work in distributed product development teams and utilize state-of-the-art tools to collaborate with their peers and industrial partners. From technology and market research to concept development and presentation of final solutions, the course provides students with a unique experience of the entire product development process. Dedicated coaches will guide teams through various design phases, propelled by 3 hackathons aimed at ideas generation and innovation.

The ultimate goal of the Pro Hackin’ course is to share knowledge of the product development process and tools useful for creative and innovative problem-solving. This is a great opportunity for students to expand their product development horizons, and it will also help teachers and coaches to improve their approach to teaching the challenging topic of new product creation.

We can’t wait for the Pro Hackin’ course to start and to see the fantastic ideas and solutions that students and coaches will develop together. With Rimac Technology as our industrial partner, we are confident that this year’s course will be an exciting challenge and a great success. So, mark your calendars for the beginning of March and get ready to witness a new era of hyper-scooter development!

From 12th to 15th of May we organized a live hackathon at Technische Universitaet in Wien. 40 students from the 4 participating universities split in 5 teams participated in a 12-hour design hackathon, where they created virtual prototypes of their product ideas using a collaborative CAD software OnShape.