What was the challenge/ problem that was addressed?
Innovations in agriculture, fisheries and forestry are often underestimated. It is necessary to promote the understanding of the fact that in today’s society it is practically impossible to fully compete in one’s industry without innovations and new practices.
How did you solve the challenge/ problem?
Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LRATC), together with Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, joined forces to bring together enthusiasts from various fields who would be ready to share their creativity and promote innovation in solving the needs of the various sectors already mentioned.
What is innovative in your practical case?
Within 48 hours, which was the duration of the makeathon, emphasis was placed on the realization of the idea process, creating a real and tangible prototype for the problem to be solved. Various technologies and consultations with the experts for creating physical prototypes were available during the makeathon.
What are success factors in solving the problem?
The continuity of the event, the availability of experts and technologies, the continuous coordination process, the team interests and the co-creation process.
Unexpected failures, if any.
Taking into account that the ideas of the teams were different and, therefore, the necessary investments, it was difficult to evaluate the specific amount of funding needed for each team to develop the prototype of the idea. Considering the amount of work in the specified time, it was difficult to get all participants to actively use all the opportunities provided by the organizers of the event, for example, expert consultations.
Lessons learned.
It is necessary to consider a specific budget for each team. A specific coordinator for each team. The time when lectures are provided does not count towards 48 hours.
What role does the advisor or advisory service play within your practical case?
Several of the invited experts were LRATC consultants, so it was possible to give practical recommendations for the implementation of ideas. Also, considering that LRATC was one of the organizers, some of the team coordinators were also consultants.
Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?
Yes
For sharing the experience on the good practice, please visit:
@Meikatons.AgriTech2022