The Hackathon of Collaboration and the Closing Event of the program “Developing Cooperativism”, held on June 14 at the JOIST Innovation Park in Ioannina, offered living proof that the Greek regions can be fertile ground for new collective ideas, collaborations, and networks.
Through a full-day process of collaborative design, participants from different fields and areas of Epirus worked intensively with the support of mentors and facilitators to develop proposals addressing real needs of the countryside and local society.
The action highlighted both the necessity and the potential of cooperativism as a tool for the reconstruction of rural areas, the mobilization of young people and institutions, and the empowerment of local communities. In the context of escalating challenges facing rural Greece, strengthening the resilience of mountain and agricultural areas becomes crucial — not only for the survival of these communities, but also for their capacity to welcome people with vision and the will to create new productive models, contributing to the broader social and economic revitalization of the country.
The event culminated with the presentation of the ideas before an evaluation committee, with the top three proposals receiving financial prizes awarded by the Vasileios Tsigos Foundation, providing tangible support for the continuation of their work. The Foundation — whose mission is to implement and support initiatives in Education, Research, and Cooperativism for the benefit of the Greek people, and especially for young and underprivileged groups — supported the action, highlighting the role of collective initiatives as a lever for regional regeneration.
Winning ideas of the Hackathon:
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“Wool from Your Land” – re-introducing local wool into the value chain || The Pokari Project
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Social Agri-Park of the Kalamas Valley - a collective agricultural investment for local self-sufficiency || Ecotopia Social Cooperative
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Collective Co-housing for 60+ – new models of housing and care for older people in the regions || Solidarity Counseling Network – Scientific Association
Special thanks go to Development Agency of Epirus S.A. for their collaboration, Impact Hub Athens for their overall support of the organization, to JOIST Innovation Park for hosting us, and to the Vasileios Tsigos Foundation. Warm thanks also to Mr. Spyros Kapetanakis for his participation as mentor and member of the evaluation committee — his experience and presence added significant value to the process.
See all team presentations here::
👉 Hackathon Presentations
The Collaboration Hackathon was the highlight of a rich program that also included Regional Living Labs and Demo Days, aiming at education, networking, and hands-on support for both new and established cooperative initiatives.
